GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — “Well it definitely was a journey,” said Jocelyn Taylor.
From Grand Rapids Christian, to Southeastern Missouri State, then overseas, basketball has been a constant for Jocelyn Taylor.
“If you believe in yourself and you put in the gritty work behind closed doors, then everything will show for itself and it will work out,” said Taylor.
After finishing her college career in 2020, Taylor knew that she wanted to go pro. Soon after graduation, she had the opportunity to play in Romania, and then last year, played in Kuwait. While she loved playing pro, there are downsides to being that far from home.
“You really learn to love being by yourself. It’s really a mental process over there. You don’t have anyone you can run back home to. Sometime the hour difference is eight hours plus. So you don’t have anyone to call yet. Really, you have to be locked into yourself and love yourself and know what you’re doing. And then God will take care of the rest,” said Taylor.
Right before she turned pro, Jocelyn started working with Marcus Lancaster, who owns UTS Elite training, and helped get her ready to compete at the next level.
“One thing I will say about her is that she’s a hard worker. She’s a perfectionist and she loves to get things right the first time. And if not, we’re going to double back. We’ll triple back. However long it takes us to get it right, that’s what we’ll do,” said Lancaster.
During her most recent season in Kuwait, Jocelyn average 23 points a game, up from her four a game she shot in Romania, and she credits that to her training with Marcus.
“I came out of Southeastern Missouri State particularly a four player, so a power forward, but working with Marcus definitely got me up on me dribbling, my shooting guard mode. So I’m definitely more of a big guard now. My dribbling and my shooting is definitely elevated because we train 110%,” said Taylor.
“We also worked on the speed and the quickness. And also just working on her shooting. One dribble pull-ups, two dribble pull-ups. Being able to get that shot off a little quicker, being more efficient. And being more consistent,” said Lancaster.
Outside of her training, Jocelyn really enjoys coaching young girls in West Michigan, and showing them that there is a space for women in basketball.
“That’s huge to me because growing up, I didn’t have that. I had an uncle who would help train me, but I didn’t really have anyone else I could really look up to as far as a sister figure or a brother figure [in basketball], because my brothers played other sports. Over the years it’s just really humbled me and just taught me that if I keep going with this, that eventually I will end up where I want to be,” said Taylor.
Jocelyn said she’s in the middle of talking to a few professional teams right now and hopefully will be signing a contract for the upcoming season in the next month.
