McWilliams-Franklin re-signs with Lynx

Every WNBA team makes a few changes from year to year -- even the league champion.

The Lynx, coming off their first WNBA championship in 13 years, are no exception. Fortunately for them, finding a replacement for center Taj McWilliams-Franklin won't be on their to-do list.

Mc Williams-Franklin recently re-signed for a second season. Terms were not disclosed.

"[Taj] was a big part of our championship team," said Roger Griffith, executive vice president of the Lynx, "and will play a big role in our attempt to win back-to-back titles."

McWilliams-Franklin, who turned 41 in October, averaged 8.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 34 regular-season games, 33 of which she started.

Second-year Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve made signing McWilliams-Franklin, a 13-year veteran, an offseason priority before last season. "Taj is the consummate pro and her value to our team is immeasurable," Reeve said. "Her return puts us in the best position to defend our title."

The last team to win consecutive league title was Los Angeles in 2001 and 2002. "My main reason for returning to [the] Lynx is the fact that they showed me an incredible amount of faith last year in signing me and trading away a younger, stronger player," McWilliams-Franklin wrote in a live chat on Monday.

The 6-2 McWilliams-Franklin, in her 13th season last year, averaged 28.4 minutes during the regular season and 30.3 in the playoffs.

"I would rather teach than play so much," she wrote, "but you just never know during the season what will happen."

She is second all-time in career rebounds with 2,836. McWilliams-Franklin is working on improving her free throw shooting and on shooting in-close with her right hand.

McWilliams-Franklin, in the Twin Cities for her signing, was supposed to play overseas this winter in Israel, but the women's pro league in that country canceled its season. Now she intends to join Krakow-based Wisla, the oldest and most successful club team in Poland.

When she returns, McWilliams-Franklin wrote, it won't be easy to repeat as WNBA champions: "All the stars have to be aligned perfectly for that to happen again. But ... I have the ultimate trust for what coach Reeve will do to put the Minnesota Lynx in a position to complete for that title again."