When
it comes to the so-called “Mount Rushmore” of the greatest to ever play on the
hardwood, there are four names that come to mind. The late great George Mikan
of the Minneapolis Lakers; Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Golden Gopher
Kevin McHale; future Hall of Famer and host of “Area 21” for the NBA on TNT
Kevin Garnett and a former Lady Golden Gopher who help to make the Women’s
National Basketball Association’s (WNBA’s) Minnesota Lynx one of the best teams
in professional sports. This lady has been hands down one of the best to ever
play on the court and represented the midwestern values of humility, hard work
and dedication that made her a treasure for all to see. Earlier this week one
of the best to ever play in the WNBA made an announcement about her future.
Perennial
All-Star, multiple champion and lead guard for the Lynx Lindsay Whalen announced
on Monday that she will retire effective at the conclusion of the 2018 season, her
15th season.
In
a press release, the Hutchinson, MN native, who is also the head coach at her
alma mater said, “I would like to announce that after 15 seasons in the WNBA I
am going to retire after the 2018 season.”
The
former Connecticut Sun lead guard added, “I would like to thank the WNBA, the
Connecticut Sun, and the Minnesota Lynx for believing in me all these years. I
look forward to the next chapter in my basketball career and wish my Lynx
coaches and teammates all the best in the future.”
The
basketball world was introduced to Whalen in 2004 when she led the Lady Golden
Gophers to their first Final Four appearance.
Her
competitive, fiery spirit along with her uncanny ability to score in the paint
amongst taller players captured the attention of the entire state of Minnesota
to the point that the attendance for home games at Dinkytown rose from just
over 1,000 to nearly 10,000 in her four years.
In
2004, Whalen was drafted by the Sun with the No. 4 overall pick. After a
six-year run with them, she was traded to her native home on Jan. 12, 2010 in a
deal that also involved current Atlanta Dream guard Renee Montgomery.
That
acquisition along with the hiring of former then Detroit Shock assistant coach
Cheryl Reeve would set up the Lynx to win four WNBA titles over the next seven
seasons, which includes winning it all a season ago.
Along
with winning four titles in her time with the Lynx, Whalen has been named a
WNBA All-Star five times; a three-time All-WNBA First-Team selection; a
two-time All-WNBA Second-Team selection; three-time WNBA assists leader; a
two-time Olympic Gold medalist and a two-time World Champion Gold Medalist.
She
is also the WNBA’s all-time wins leader with 322 career victories, including 54
wins in the playoffs. Only future Hall of Famer of the Seattle Storm Sue Bird (2,600) and former Sacramento Monarchs lead guard Ticha Penicheiro have more career assists than Whalen, who ranks third all-time with 2,334.
Whalen is also the only player in league history with 5,000-plus points, 2,000-plus career assists and 1,500-plus rebounds in her career. In 2016 she was named to the WNBA’s Top 20@20 Team.
Whalen is also the only player in league history with 5,000-plus points, 2,000-plus career assists and 1,500-plus rebounds in her career. In 2016 she was named to the WNBA’s Top 20@20 Team.
“Lindsay
Whalen will always be remembered as one of the greatest players and winners in
the history of our league,” WNBA President Lisa Borders said in a statement on
Monday. “Her impact was immediate, leading the Connecticut Sun to The Finals in
each of her first two seasons before going on to become a four-time champion
with the Minnesota Lynx. A five-time All-Star and a two-time gold medal winner.
Lindsay will finish her remarkable career with the most regular season wins in
league history. I wish Lindsay continued and compelling success as she
continues to inspire the next generation of female athletes at the University
of Minnesota.”
Coach
Reeve echoed those same feelings about her lead guard saying, “Lindsay always
had an impeccable ability to know when it’s time to do something. Whether it’s
her own stepping up and calling her own number or understanding which play or
which player and when.”
“So,
that’s not going to go away when she stops playing.”
Whalen
said those experiences with basketball is what will be key in the next chapter
of her life as the new women’s basketball coach at the University of Minnesota
as mentioned earlier.
“Playing
for the Lynx. Playing on the Olympic team and you go back to my experiences in
college it really comes through now because you’ve seen so much and you have so
much experience that I’ve been able to just lean on a lot during this time,”
Whalen said.
Whalen
has also said that Coach Reeve has been a big help in her transition and that
she will always be a phone call away when she needs advice.
Lindsay
Whalen in nearly two decades from what she did as a player on the collegiate level
and the professional level is equal to any great player at the professional
level. Here accolades and achievements speak for themselves. The winning, the
points and the assists she has put up are remarkable. That said those that have
played and coached her say it is her ability to lead, the type of friend she
has been to others and her ability to connect with her teammates is what has
made her the special player she is.
A
player who many like Katy Winge saw in the stands put the University of Minnesota Lady Golden Gophers Basketball squad on the map.
During Wednesday night's AT&T Sportsnet's telecast of the Las Vegas Aces versus the New York Liberty, the Minnesota native, who family had season tickets to see the Lady Golden Gophers at age nine took a photo with Whalen while she was a junior at the University of Minnesota.
"She's one of the best Minnesota athletes of all-time really," the Aces sideline reporter said of Whalen. "As a Minnesota girl, born and raised that went on to play college basketball myself Whalen was the player I really aspired to be like growing up."
Whalen hopes to have the same impact as a head coach as she did as collegiate for the Lady Golden Gophers and professionally for the Lynx same starting this fall.
During Wednesday night's AT&T Sportsnet's telecast of the Las Vegas Aces versus the New York Liberty, the Minnesota native, who family had season tickets to see the Lady Golden Gophers at age nine took a photo with Whalen while she was a junior at the University of Minnesota.
"She's one of the best Minnesota athletes of all-time really," the Aces sideline reporter said of Whalen. "As a Minnesota girl, born and raised that went on to play college basketball myself Whalen was the player I really aspired to be like growing up."
Whalen hopes to have the same impact as a head coach as she did as collegiate for the Lady Golden Gophers and professionally for the Lynx same starting this fall.
“I’ve
seen what can happen with women’s basketball here in this state and I know it can
continue to happen at the collegiate level,” Whalen said of what the Lady
Golden Gophers can achieve on her watch.
“Now
it’s my job to instill all the kind of building blocks that its going to take
for them to get there.”
Information,
statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 8/13/18 www.canishoopus.com article, “Lindsay
Whalen Announces Retirement From the WNBA,” by Neil Olstad; 8/14/18 edition of
NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Jared Greenberg and Steve Smith; 8/15/18 10 p.m. telecast of New York Liberty versus Las Vegas Aces on AT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountain with Anne Marie Anderson, Rushia Brown and Katy Winge;
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