Handling Attribute Nulls in LINQ to XML Query

What is the best way to handle null Attributes when assigning the value in an LINQ query?

See the code snippet below, many examples.  We are currently using inline if statements to check if the attribute exists and then handle if it does or not. For example:

 Height = (personsMetaData.Attribute("height") == null) ? null : personsMetaData.Attribute("height").Value,

If this is the best way, anybody have any examples of an extender function  that would cut down on the amount of code for checking nulls inside the query?  Something that could be a little easier maintained?

Thanks,
Sk

List<PersonsSportsInfo> personsSportsInfo =
                    (from persons in Root.Descendants("player")
                     let personsMetaData = persons.Elements("player-metadata").First()
                     let firstName = (personsMetaData.Element("name") == null) ? "" : (personsMetaData.Element("name").Attribute("first") == null) ? "" : personsMetaData.Element("name").Attribute("first").Value
                     let lastName = (personsMetaData.Element("name") == null) ? "" : (personsMetaData.Element("name").Attribute("last") == null) ? "" : personsMetaData.Element("name").Attribute("last").Value
                     let careerPhase = persons.Descendants("career-phase")
                     select new PersonsSportsInfo
                     {
                         Key = (personsMetaData.Attribute("player-key") == null) ? null : personsMetaData.Attribute("player-key").Value,
                         UniformNumber = (personsMetaData.Attribute("uniform-number") == null) ? null : personsMetaData.Attribute("uniform-number").Value,
                         PositionRegular = (personsMetaData.Attribute("position-regular") == null) ? null : personsMetaData.Attribute("position-regular").Value,
                         Height = (personsMetaData.Attribute("height") == null) ? null : personsMetaData.Attribute("height").Value,
                         Weight = (personsMetaData.Attribute("weight") == null) ? null : personsMetaData.Attribute("weight").Value,
                         Status = (personsMetaData.Attribute("status") == null) ? null : personsMetaData.Attribute("status").Value,
                         DOB = (personsMetaData.Attribute("date-of-birth") == null) ? null : personsMetaData.Attribute("date-of-birth").Value,
                         Health = (personsMetaData.Attribute("health") == null) ? null : personsMetaData.Attribute("health").Value,
                         Caliber = (personsMetaData.Attribute(xts + "caliber") == null) ? null : personsMetaData.Attribute(xts + "caliber").Value,
                         FirstName = firstName,
                         LastName = lastName,
                         FullName = firstName + " " + lastName,
                         PositionDepth = (personsMetaData.Element("player-metadata-american-football") == null) ? null : (personsMetaData.Element("player-metadata-american-football").Attribute(xts + "position-depth") == null) ? "" : personsMetaData.Element("player-metadata-american-football").Attribute(xts + "position-depth").Value,
                         ProExperience = careerPhase
                             .Where(c => c.Attribute("phase-type").Value == "professional")
                             .Select(c => c.Attribute("duration").Value).FirstOrDefault(),
                         CollegeName = careerPhase
                             .Where(c => c.Attribute("phase-type").Value == "college")
                             .Select(c => c.Attribute("name").Value).FirstOrDefault(),
                    }).ToList();

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