Lindsay Taylor

Lindsay Taylor

Lindsay Corine Taylor (born May 20, 1981 in Poway, California) is an American professional basketball player and a former college player who has played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), Turkish Women's Basketball League, Ligue FĂ©minine de Basketball (LFB), the WKBL, Polish Women's League, and the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). Currently she plays in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association, on the Yunnan Qujing team for a second time.

In the WNBA Taylor has played for four teams: the Houston Comets, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm (twice) and the Washington Mystics. The last two of her terms in the WNBA were brief, with the second lasting only a week. In contrast to her short tenures in the WNBA, Taylor has enjoyed far greater success in Europe and Asia, especially in the Polish Women's League where she is known by her sobriquet Lindska and has achieved a level of recognition comparable to that of Lisa Leslie in the WNBA and the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). Taylor finished her first season in the Polish Women's League with the highest number of points scored, and her overall evaluation was the highest in the league. She was also awarded Center of the Year and earned a place on the 1st Team, All-Imports Team and the All-Defensive Team.

Taylor is renowned for her 6 ft and 8 in (2.03 m) height, making her one of the tallest female athletes in the world. This has also made her the tallest player in the history of UC Santa Barbara women's basketball, and she is one of a group of women: Liz Cambage, Katie Feenstra, Zheng Haixia, Maria Stepanova and Katja Bavendam who are tied for the second tallest player in WNBA history and the fourth overall tallest player in basketball history. The only player surpassing Taylor is the late Margo Dydek, at 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m). The other examples that are taller than her are Heidi Gillingham at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) and Allyssa DeHaan. Taylor had quiped that because of her larger stature then other players she has what she describes "a bird's eye view of everything" on the court. Literally she can see over other players.

Taylor has been the subject of both criticism and praise. She has received criticism and potential doubts raised over her ability to be an effective center; the Washington Post criticised her and commented that she "cannot control her size" and that she often ends up "blocking her own players" in practice. In its Analysis of the prospected centers in the 2004 WNBA Draft, the Seattle Storm criticized Taylor scathing: "As long as Taylor could tie her shoes and walk without tripping on her own feet, she'd be a WNBA prospect." It also felt, she had not been an effective dominating force at UC Santa Barbara despite her great height and facing what it considered relatively weak Big West competition. Supporters however point out her fluid coordination, speed and versatile mobility as being above excellent for someone of her stature and build. Others have pointed out and praised her unlimited potential on the court, natural talent, fast learning and her passing of the ball to other team players, something almost rare for other players of her height, as contributions of her effectiveness as a player.

Read more about Lindsay Taylor:  Early Life, High School and College, WNBA Career, Team Botas, Short Return To WNBA, After The WNBA, Botasspor Adana, Polish Women's League, Return To The WNBA, Polish Women's League Return, Return To The LFB, International Career, Honors and Awards, Criticism and Praise, Personal

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