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Were nearing the end of the Adventures of Penelope Jane, that searing saga of the friendly but fearless, sharp-shooting, screen-setting, rebounding, beloved basketball heroine of the desert.Well, thats our Americanized version of Penny Taylor, an integral part of three Phoenix Mercury championship teams who will retire from the WNBA at seasons end. Phoenix fans affectionately claim her as their own, while fully respecting that she is an Australian whose influence on her countrys national team is also a huge part of her sporting legacy.Taylor, 35, is averaging 12.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Mercury, who are trying to secure the last playoff spot. She certainly could keep playing in the WNBA longer if she chose. But she believes its time to stop.Its my body telling me, Taylor said. I dont ever want to be a hindrance to a team. I want to make them better, and never be holding them back in any way.I feel like Im still contributing, and I love that I can still play, with this group especially. Because I love this team and the coaching staff. But I want to make the decision for myself, and the time just feels right.Its the exact answer youd expect from a player who has always put team first, even though nobody thinks shes holding back the Mercury. To the contrary, there will be a?void without her. But its about the most Penny Taylor thing ever that she would opt to exit just a little bit early than too late.Penny is one of the nicest people Ive ever met, said Indianas Tamika Catchings, who also is retiring at seasons end. But the competitive nature that we each have, Ill always remember that about her. And from the international standpoint, her being a role model for players who come from Australia.Ah, yes: nice. A very bland adjective, right? Yet its impossible to talk about Taylor without that word. However, she isnt some generic brand of nice.Anyone who has spent even a little time around Taylor can remember a particular nice thing she did for them. For players -- both teammates and foes -- its some kind words when they were soaring or struggling. For coaches, its how she was always very low-maintenance.For fans, its all the times she has posed for photos, smiled, listened to their stories, and made them feel like they were part of the Mercurys success. And, yes, even the media have experienced countless nice Penny moments. Such as when the Mercury had clinched their first WNBA Finals berth in 2007, and the celebratory music playing in their locker room was so loud reporters couldnt hear the quotes. Taylor jumped up, saying, Let me go turn down the music real quick.Yet, as Catchings said, Taylor also will be remembered as a fiercely determined competitor.Its the grit on both sides of the court, Chicago coach Pokey Chatman said. A lot of times when you talk about grit, youre talking about defensive players who dont have a skill set offensively. But thats not Penny.Shes a threat inside and outside, and you have to guard her out to the 3-point line. And she plays so well with others. I have to coach against her overseas, too, and its the same thing. Im a huge fan of her, and its because she has the toughness and the skills.A natural fitPenelope Jane Taylor was born in May 1981 in Melbourne, Australia. Her parents both were natives of England before they moved Down Under; her mom as a young teen, and her father when he was an adult. They met in Australia, and Taylor said there was a definite English influence in her upbringing and that of her siblings.Even now when people meet me, they say my accent is a little different from other Australians, Taylor said, adding with a laugh, I very rarely say, mate, for example, which for most Australians is every second word.Taylors parents introduced her to basketball at age 4. She took to it, but acknowledges she probably would have done the same with any sport because she was so competitive. But basketball fit the eventual 6-foot-1 Taylor perfectly.She went to the Australian Institute of Sport and played in the countrys womens pro league, the WNBL, plus made the national team, the Opals.Taylor was drafted into the WNBA by Cleveland about a month before her 20th birthday in 2001. It seems crazy in retrospect to think a player as good as Taylor went as late as the No. 11 pick, but that was a talent-rich draft, including another Aussie teen: No. 1 selection Lauren Jackson.Taylor was to become one of the leagues elite; a case could be made that she deserved a spot on the leagues top-20 players list voted on earlier this 20th anniversary season.She spent three years with Cleveland, then was the top selection by the Mercury in the dispersal draft when the Rockers franchise folded after the 2003 season.Like with all the Australians in the WNBA, Taylors desire to play against the best in the world helped motivate her to travel around the world to pursue her career.A lot of us are pretty ambitious, Taylor said, so you dont really have a choice. Its what I wanted to do, and I couldnt expect my family to drop their lives and go with me. It was my dream.I wouldnt call it a sacrifice because I wanted to do it. I never felt anyone begrudged me that. Not my parents, or my sister and brother. I was very lucky that they were unselfish like that. Im sure it wasnt always easy for my mom and dad, but they never said anything. They were always supportive.Both of Taylors parents have passed away after battling cancer; her mother in May 2013 and her father in December 2014. Taylor sat out the 2015 season in part to take time, emotionally, to recover from those losses.But the past few years also have presented Taylor with some physical challenges. She tore her ACL in March 2012 while playing in Turkey, which cost her both the WNBA season that year and the chance to play at the London Olympics.She had setbacks after her initial surgery and wasnt able to return to the WNBA until late June 2013, appearing in just 12 games that season. There were difficult periods during 2012-2013 that Taylor really wondered if shed ever get back to playing at a high level. Although she said the silver lining of being away from the game meant she got precious time with her mother in her last months.Then in 2014, everything came together just right again, as Taylor helped Phoenix win its third WNBA title.That championship was particularly meaningful to Taylor because she was playing for an Australian coach with the Mercury, Sandy Brondello, and alongside another Aussie, guard Erin Phillips.Michele Timms and Brondello had led the first wave of Australian players when the WNBA began, and Taylor has always been grateful to them as the pioneers. They would be the first to say, with great pride, that Taylor has carried that torch well.Australian attitudeTaylor was never the designated star for the teams on which she won her most prestigious titles: the three in the WNBA, and a gold medal in the 2006 world championship. For Phoenix, that star was Diana Taurasi; for Australia, it was Jackson. Yet you cant picture any of those championships without Taylor. She has always filled in whatever role was needed.I just think thats the way youre supposed to play, Taylor said. I dont really care about anything other than winning.In 2007, when Phoenix won its first championship, Taylor averaged star-like numbers at 17.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in the regular season. She bumped that to 19.3, 7.9 and 3.8 in the playoffs, with Phoenix beating Detroit in five games to take the title.The 2009 WNBA Finals also went five games, with Phoenix prevailing over Indiana. That already had been a challenging season for Taylor, who played just 14 regular-season games due to injury. Then Taylor took an elbow to the mouth in Game 2 of the Finals, suffering a laceration inside her mouth and the displacement of two front teeth. That didnt stop her from playing the rest of the series. For the 2009 postseason, she averaged 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists.Ive always wanted to be tough, and tried to be, Taylor said. Maybe its that Australian attitude that we like to have.Taylor just grins whenever you talk about her calmness or how shes a contrast to the emotional Taurasi on the court. As Taylor once put it, People will say to me, It looks like youre really in control. But I feel Im as fired up and just as ferocious as Diana. I guess on the exterior, it doesnt look like that.No, but it always has looked like Taylor would be one of the first people you would pick as a teammate, no matter the sport. What will she do when shes done playing? It seems likely well see her in coaching; she loves basketball too much to leave it and is eager to keep studying the game.The recent Olympics were difficult for Taylor and the Aussies, who were upset in the quarterfinals. And it has been an up-and-down season for the Mercury, although they might still end up being a threat in the playoffs.Whenever Phoenixs season ends, Taylor will take some time to relax and pursue a few other things.I want to cook better, she said. Ive been a vegan for a year, and thats something that really interests me, learning more about nutrition. I look forward to some beach time, some surfing.Is she a good surfer?No, Im horrible, Taylor said, laughing. But I love being around the water, and I think I can improve.So the Adventures of Penelope Jane really arent ending after all. But Taylor will be missed a great deal by everyone who has followed the WNBA.Something she said back in 2007, when the Mercury were on the path to their first title, explains why Taylor has thrived in her career and her life, regardless of all the miles traveled and time spent far away from Australia.Ive always loved different cultures and parts of the world, Taylor said. Ive never woken up in some country and thought, My God, what am I doing? Why am I here? I feel wherever I am, Im surrounded by friends.Paul Coffey Penguins Jersey . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. Larry Murphy Jersey . Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds in his seventh straight game with more than 20 points, but that was only enough to keep the Pelicans competitive into the final minutes. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped a two-game skid. http://www.penguinsauthenticofficial.com/paul-coffey-jersey/ . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. Mark Recchi Jersey .com) - The women will also have a new champion at the Australian Open. Kris Letang Penguins Jersey . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball and the New York Yankees turned down requests Saturday to meet with Alex Rodriguezs camp and the union about the embattled stars expected drug penalty, two people familiar with the talks told The Associated Press. The overtures were made two days before MLB was poised to hand Rodriguez a lengthy suspension for his part in the Biogenesis case. The two people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because no public statements were authorized. Rodriguez, meanwhile, was in Trenton, N.J., playing what could be his last game in a while. He started a double play, then drew a walk in the first inning while on a minor league rehabilitation assignment with the Double-A Thunder. He was scheduled to be off Sunday. The All-Star third baseman said Friday night the Yankees tentative plan was for him to join them in Chicago for Monday nights game against the White Sox. Before Rodriguez took the field, his side reached out to the Yankees and union head Michael Weiner contacted MLB Executive Vice-President Rob Manfred. The Yankees and MLB said they had no interest in such talks. There was always the chance, however, that further negotiations could take place at the last minute. The New York Post, Daily News and New York Times reported the discussions earlier Saturday. There hasnt been any definite word on the severity of Rodriguezs looming penalty, with speculation ranging from a lifetime ban to a suspension through the 2014 season. Also possible, according to those familiar with the talks, was a suspension lasting until Aug. 31, 2014, the day before all teams are permitted to expand their rosters from 25 players to 40. The 38-year-old Roodriguez hasnt played in the majors this season.dddddddddddd The three-time American League MVP is recovering from hip surgery and a strained quadriceps. A day after Rodriguez homered for Trenton, Thunder manager Tony Franklin hedged on whether A-Rod was ready to rejoin the majors. "Thats not for me to say," Franklin said. "His swing is getting better. Hes running better. Hes doing the baseball things OK right now. But thats a different game up there." A sellout crowd was expected and a few minutes before the national anthem, A-Rod chatted up fans near the dugout and fist-pumped a kid, then walked off to have a catch. Rodriguez caught a knuckling line drive by Readings first batter and later fielded a grounder and began an inning-ending double play. Batting second, Rodriguez walked to the plate to Jay-Zs "On To The Next One" and received a mixture of cheers and boos in the first. He fouled off a 2-2 pitch before drawing a walk. Rodriguez slowly went first to third on a double off the right-field wall and was stranded. He also walked the next time he came up while his girlfriend, former pro wrestler Torrie Wilson, held up her cellphone to video the action from a second-row seat behind the plate. In the top of the second, Rodriguez ranged to his right to field a grounder and threw high and wide to second. It was ruled an infield hit, though he probably wouldve made the play a few years ago. The next inning, Rodriguez fielded a slow bouncer down the line and made a strong throw to first to get the out. He heard loud cheers as he jogged slowly to the dugout, looking around and seemingly taking in the crowds appreciation. ' ' '