Taylor Robertson began to draw eyes for always carrying a basketball around.
Members of the small town of McPherson, Kansas, began to recognize the young phenom for doing so in addition to the long hours she spent at the local YMCA. There, Robertson developed enjoyment for the art of competition, which she carried over to simple everyday activities.
“Anybody who knows Taylor knows she’ll find a way to compete on anything,” Taylor’s mother Terri said. “We play a lot of cards in our family and whether it’s a game of Uno … or a video game, or a contest to see who gets the most steps on their Fitbit, she’s always the most competitive and almost always wins.”
The competitiveness and dedication developed from a young age continues to fuel Robertson’s passion for basketball, where she stands at 497 3-pointers, tied for the NCAA’s all-time record heading into No. 14 Oklahoma’s (16-3, 6-2 Big 12) matchup vs. No. 18 Iowa State (14-4, 6-2) at 3 p.m. on Saturday in Ames.
When Robertson was little, she spent endless time accompanying her father, Dave, who worked at a sports card and memorabilia store in McPherson.
At the helm of the tight bond? Their love for basketball.
“She grew up … around sports all the time,” Terri said. “She just always wanted to go to the gym … (and) always wanted him to teach her something new. He would try to find new ball handling tricks for her to learn to master.”
Taylor’s relationship with her father only strengthened, and was especially prevalent during the time of her college search.
Robertson had spoken to various schools from around the area, but had yet to have any encounters with Power Five programs. When then-OU coach Sherri Coale and her staff called Taylor seeking a visit with the young star, Robertson knew a visit with her father, an OU fan, was priority.
“It was right before he went into hospice care, so it was a crazy emotional time for us,” Terri said. “He had the (OU) fight song on his phone and played it as she was coming into the room. She was so excited … she knew it meant a lot to him since he had followed Oklahoma his whole life.”
Shortly after her father’s death, Robertson began her journey to 497 3-pointers as a Sooner.
Redshirt senior Taylor Robertson during the game against Iowa State on Jan. 8.
‘If the ball is in Taylor’s hands, good things happen’
While the 497 value speaks volumes, Robertson's efficiency may be even more impressive.
Though she’s tied for the most 3-pointers in NCAA history with former Ohio State guard Kelsey Mitchell, she’s taken the seventh-most attempts. Despite being granted a fifth year of eligibility, Mitchell has played two more games than Robertson and taken 153 more 3-point attempts.
“While I was recruiting her it was the consistency (that stood out),” Coale said. “(It) doesn’t matter if she’s missed five in a row or made ten in a row, she believes the next shot is going in and I’ve never seen (that) waver. I never saw her confidence dip in terms of her ability to shoot the basketball.”
Of the 16 players to attempt at least 1,000 career 3-pointers, Robertson leads the pack in 3-point percentage at 43.9 percent. Robertson’s consistency during gametime begins with her pregame routine, which has remained constant throughout her collegiate career. She has always been the first Sooner on the court in warmups to get extra shooting reps in before the typical warmup routine.
Robertson makes her way around the 3-point line, shooting hundreds of shots from various spots on the arch, then heads to the free throw line to cap the routine with an abundance of foul shots.
This type of repetition has led Taylor to lead the nation in career active free-throw percentage. During the 2020-21 campaign, the then-junior missed just one of the 57 free throws she attempted.
“It’s just something I’ve always done,” Robertson said. “I like to get … shots up (and) be loose before we start team warm-ups.”
Robertson currently holds a streak of 61 consecutive games with a 3-pointer, dating back to early Feb. 2021. Of her 137 career games, just three have ended without her making a 3-pointer.
Additionally, the senior has thrived off taking care of the ball, never averaging more than 1.7 turnovers per game in a season. Of the 36 Big 12 players to average at least 25 minutes, Robertson is one of two with less than a turnover per game.
“What drew me to her was her canniness,” Taylor’s AAU coach Gayla Soyez said. “She wasn’t the most athletic, she didn’t do anything flashy but just her IQ. … She understands a lot about the game. I always felt (like) if the ball is in Taylor’s hands, good things happen.”
Redshirt senior Taylor Robertson during the game against Robert Morris University on Dec. 11.
‘That’s what a truly committed athlete looks like’
As special as the various 3-point records may seem, all have taken a backseat to winning games for Robertson.
Coale remembers Robertson’s dedication after an early December matchup against Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse in 2021, where the Sooners fell 74-64 to the Jayhawks while only playing six players.
“I remember looking at her face in the locker room. … She was absolutely spent,” Coale said. “In my mind I can still see that face and what I remember from that was (thinking), ‘That’s what a truly committed athlete looks like after competition.’ That’s how she fits inside my head all the time, as a kid who gives everything she has for the fight every single time she has an opportunity.
“All the big shots are fantastic, but I appreciate who she is as a human being and a competitor more than anything else.”
Robertson made a habit of shouldering strenuous minutes on the court, only being subbed out in eight of the Sooners’ 24 games during the 2020-21 season. Perhaps the most notable came during the OU’s overtime loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament later that season.
Robertson finished with 24 points and six 3-pointers, while being the only player on either team to play the entire 45 minutes of regulation and overtime in what ended as OU’s final game of the COVID-19 ridden season and Coale’s career.
The moment was similar to a 2019 homecoming for Robertson against Wichita State in Kansas, when the then-sophomore took just 11 points into the half while facing a 50-37 deficit. Some mid-game chatter sparked Robertson, who finished with 30 points on nine 3-pointers and nearly edged a victory for OU, falling 88-83.
“Someone poked the bear,” Robertson’s trainer TJ Grant said. “That was the first time (when she was) in college when I (realized) she’s a special player on any level and she can do this for a long time.”
Her willingness to step up to challenges stems long before the collegiate level, portrayed when Soyez instilled trust in Robertson even at her worst. Soyez recalls a game where Robertson faced one of her worst shooting days, yet had the chance to pull out a win for her team in the final seconds.
Soyez drew up a play intended for Robertson to attempt a wide open 3-pointer. While the majority of the plan worked in their favor, the 3-point phenom suffered a rare miss leading to a loss.
After the game, Soyez was on a phone call with Taylor’s father, in which he posed the question:
“Why give it to Taylor there?”
Soyez responded: ‘Why wouldn’t I?’
The same three word justification used by Soyez carried to Baranczyk, who gave Robertson the opportunity to give OU a win in a Feb. 26, 2022, battle with Kansas State. This time, Robertson delivered with a 3-pointer at the buzzer to elevate the Sooners to a 72-69 victory.
The view from the radio broadcast position of Taylor Robertson’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer to beat Kansas State 72-69. @DrakeDiacon with the video, @BrianBrinkleyOK with the call. Sooner Magic strikes again... pic.twitter.com/WJJMmvwkOI
— SoonerSportsNetwork (@OUontheAir) February 27, 2022
Redshirt senior Taylor Robertson during the OU Women's Basketball game against Robert Morris University on Dec. 11.
‘She wants to win and expects to win’
When Coale retired following the conclusion of the 2020 season, speculation arose regarding Robertson transferring schools. Robertson was recruited by Coale, and after a 24-point debut in her first collegiate game, she became a starter the first three years with the Sooners.
Though the vacancy sparked mild concern, Robertson decided to continue her legacy with OU.
“She never thought about transferring,” Terri said. “She … figures if you work hard, things will work out. She was a little apprehensive but … the first time she talked to Jennie (Baranczyk) she was so excited. I don’t think there was another coach that would’ve been more suited for Taylor and her play style.”
Robertson encountered another big decision the following offseason, when she was granted an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic halting the 2020 season. Robertson finished her senior season ranking fifth in the Big 12 in points per game (17.2) and fourth in the NCAA in 3-point percentage (44.4 percent).
The impressive campaign led to a unanimous All-Big 12 selection, AP All-America honorable mention and a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale award, granted to the top shooting guard in the nation.
Despite the decorated season opening up the possibility of playing at the next level, Robertson had unfinished business at OU. After getting a taste of NCAA Tournament play, Robertson’s decision on whether to use her extra year of eligibility was an easy one.
“She’s worried about winning. She wants to get back to the NCAA Tournament … (and) play for a championship,” Terri said. “She just has such a determination about her. When there’s something she wants to do, she works really hard until she achieves (it). Whether it’s on the court or … what she decides to do after basketball, that determination … will serve her well.”
Baranczyk’s first two seasons with the program have been highlighted by the depth the Sooners have built. The shift from six-person squads frequently found in Coale’s final season to the abundance of players on Baranczyk’s team has led to Robertson’s backseat approach in the scoring department.
The senior is averaging a career-low 11 points per game, but has surged as a rebounder and passer under Baranczyk. Robertson has accumulated 151 assists the past year and a half, compared to just 123 her first three years combined.
She also tallied over 100 rebounds for the first time in her career last season and is on pace to do the same this year.
The individual, statistical sacrifice has positioned the Sooners at 16-3 and No. 14 in the AP Top 25, the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 for the first time since 2009.
“She’s not a get-in-your-face-and-yell-at-you type of leader,” Grant said. “Her (leadership) is quiet. ‘I can show you with my countless hours in the gym, my countless preparation, the way I study film.’ Everything she does is by example … and people follow (it).”
As Robertson amasses history from the 3-point line, her focus shifts to a greater goal on the horizon. Robertson aims to use her lead by example mantra, competitive nature and pure love for the game to elevate the Sooners to a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
“The ones that make it are the ones who passionately get up everyday and can’t wait to play basketball,” Coale said. “And for (Taylor) it’s not about how many people are there, or if it’s for a trip to the final four, or a pickup game on a Sunday afternoon. If it’s a basketball game, she wants to win and she expects to win.”
This story was edited by Austin Curtright and Colton Sulley.
