McWilliams-Franklin moved to Austin, Texas, where a friend connected her with St. Edward's University coach Dave McKey.

The national team traveled to Berlin, Germany, in July and August 1998 for the FIBA World Championships.

[3] McWilliams-Franklin was drafted in 1996 (40th overall pick) and played two seasons for the Philadelphia Rage of the American Basketball League (ABL).

McWilliams-Franklin has had a long and successful WNBA career, earning two titles and recognition as one of the all-time great post players in league history.

On April 22, 2008 the Los Angeles Sparks traded McWilliams-Franklin to the Washington Mystics for DeLisha Milton-Jones.

On August 12, 2008 McWilliams-Franklin was traded to the Detroit Shock for Tasha Humphrey, Eshaya Murphy, and a second round pick in the 2009 WNBA draft.

Following the trade, McWilliams-Franklin won her first WNBA championship with the Shock as they defeated the San Antonio Silver Stars in a 3-game sweep.

She was targeted as a key free agent acquisition by Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve prior to the 2011 season.

Teammate Candice Wiggins agreed, noting that the team had nicknamed her "Mama Taj", and that "she is like a coach, a big sister for us, off the court and on.

She started 33 of 34 games during the regular season, and during the playoffs led her team in points once and assists three times, the last despite playing with a knee sprain.

Her longevity and talent earned her the career record for offensive rebounds in August, passing Yolanda Griffith.

In the winter of 2005, McWilliams-Franklin played in the Women's Korean Basketball League with the Ansan Shinhan Bank S-Birds, and toured Australia, matching up with Dandenong Rangers in Melbourne.

She played half a season in Spartak Region, Moscow, Russia, then returned to the Ansan Shinhan Bank S-Birds in Korea for the Women's Korean Basketball League in 2006.

She won the Korean title and was MVP of the finals in 2007 Winter League, beating the Yongin Samsung Bichumi and Lauren Jackson.

"[14] In March 2013, after formally retiring, McWilliams-Franklin joined the New York Liberty as an assistant coach under Bill Laimbeer.

After leaving the New York Liberty in October 2013,[15] McWilliams-Franklin became an assistant coach for Boston University's Women's Basketball team in July 2014.