WEEKLY ROUNDUP *Lynx draft Carlie Wagner *Superfan was hoops pioneer *1,000-pointer listings *Renowned coach steps down SUMMER CAMPS DIRECTORY PAGES 15-20 Volume 24 Issue No.21 April 20 2017-2018 Whalen is a Gopher again: Lynx star returns as coach By Bruce Strand Women’s basketball doesn’t have dunks, but the University of Min- nesota made a slam-dunk by hiring Lindsay Whalen last week. The most popular and productive fe- male athlete in state history will suc- ceed the departing Marlene Stollings as coach of the team she led to their only Final Four in 2004. The daring point guard who made All-America three times, earned two Olympic gold medals, and helped the Minnesota Lynx capture four WNBA championships, Whalen will embark on her coaching career while Lindsay Whalen address the media after being named coach. remaining with the Lynx for at least University of Minnesota photo one more season. After scoring 1,996 points at len. “I have so many special memories at Hutchinson, Whalen poured in 2,285 “People talk about the `it’ factor, and the University of Minnesota, I can’t points in four seasons with the Go- that is always difficult to define, but tell you how excited I am to have phers and was the primary reason an everyone who has ever spent time the opportunity to make more,” said erstwhile struggling, unloved team around Lindsay Whalen knows she Whalen, when introduced by ath- turned into a Top 25 fixture that has it,” said Coyle. “She has ex- letic director Mark Coyle on April ranked among the nation’s top five in celled at everything she has ever 13. “Becoming the head coach here attendance, jumping from 1,087 per done in her life because she’s un- at the U and being a Gopher again game her freshman year to 9,866 her flappable, determined and has a leg- is a dream come true. At every level, final season. endary work ethic. She’s played for basketball has given me so much. some of the top coaches in the world, This development resulted from she’s competed at the highest levels “I’ve learned from so many great Stollings getting an opportunity she the sport has to offer, and I know she players, coaches and mentors, and could not refuse at Texas Tech at the will be a great head coach for our now I have a chance to share that same time Whalen, 36 next month, women’s basketball program.” knowledge and help shape the new was starting to look around at what generation of Gopher stars. I’m was next for her. Coyle jumped at As part of Whalen’s agreement to the chance to offer the job to Wha- ready to get started.” Whalen: continued on Page 2 Pacesetter Newsletter Minnesota Basketball News April 20 Page 2 Whalen will contine to play for Lynx Whalen: continued from Page 1 her first and fourth seasons. This past season was the Gopher best in a decade: 24-9, third place in the Big Ten, become head coach, which is pending approval from the two conference tournament wins and a close loss to the University’s Board of Regents, she will continue to play champion, and the first NCAA tourney win since 2009. for the Lynx. Whalen inherits three starters from that team. She has “I would like to thank Coach Reeve and the Lynx orga- already made her first assistant coach hire: Kelly Roys- nization for their support during this process .... It was land, another homegrown star guard (Fosston) who was important to me that I returned to the Lynx this season,” Whalen’s teammate and currently coaches Macalester. Whalen stated. “I’m very excited about our upcoming season and I High school coaches contact- look forward to returning to a ren- ed by Minnesota Basketball ovated Target Center and playing News applauded the hire. in front of our great fans.” “Nobody can have more ‘cred’ Coaching in college while play- than her as a recruiter,” said ing in the WNBA has been done Mike Dreier of New London- before, most notably by Dawn Spicer, adding that a former Staley, who took Temple to four Wildcat, Lindsay Lieser, who NCAA trips while still playing. played for the Gophers, raved about having Whalen as a Whalen, taken No. 4 in 2004 by teammate. “She will not use Connecticut, played six seasons this as a stepping-stone for with the Sun before the Lynx en- Always-popular Lindsay Whalen blew a ‘better’ position. She loves gineered a trade to get her back in the Vikings horn at a 2013 game. Minnesota and all Minnesota Minnesota. As a floor leader sur- Minnesota Vikings photo teams. She can show kids that rounded by brilliant players like the grass is not always green- Maya Moore, Siemone Augusta, Rebekka Brunson and er somewhere else.” Sylvia Fowles, she has helped the Lynx capture WNBA titles in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and finish runner-up Hopkins coach Brian Cosgriff, who has sent several twice. Named All-WNBA five times, she ranks third in players to Division I, said, “I think Lindsay will be just league history in assists and top-20 in points and steals. the shot the Minnesota public needs in terms of generat- Last year, she became WNBA’s winningest player with ing enthusiasm for Gopher women’s basketball. It was more than 300. She also played professionally in Europe. truly a a great time when she was at the University, tak- ing the team from the depths of despair to ultimately While Whalen has done no coaching, she has played un- reaching the Final Four — along with then having taken der some luminaries — the highly-regarded Reeve with the Lynx to four world championships ... Now, the U the Lynx; Geno Auriemma, 11-time NCAA champion will have the coach that will not only recruit the state but with UConn, on the national teams; Brenda Frese, who also close down the borders.” revived the Gopher program here before moving on to Maryland, where she won an NCAA title; and Pam Bor- Molly Kasper of Eastview’s unbeaten Class 4A cham- ton, who took them to the Final Four. pions, was excited about the hire and didn’t think Wha- len’s lack of coaching experience will be a drawback. Joyful tweets about the hire include those by Gopher “She will surround herself with great assistants and she freshman Destiny Pitts (“Ecstatic … I can’t wait until has so much experience in other areas. Being a PG you we get started”), Gopher junior Kenisha Bell (“Beyond know the game inside and out, you know where players grateful”), the Vikings (“You got a good one”), ex-Go- need to be on every play, you know what plays work for pher star Rachel Banham (“This is amazing!!! Can I be every defense coming your way. You are essentially the the water girl??), and ex-Viking Chad Greenway (“Even coach on the floor at all times. She has played on every this Hawkeye thinks that was a good hire.”) stage, on every level.” Kasper added, “She is a strong, talented female role-model, which is what we need right Stollings had a solid four years with an 82-47 overall now … and makes me most happy about this hire.” record, 38-30 in the Big Ten, and NCAA appearances Pacesetter Newsletter Minnesota Basketball News April 20 Page 3 Lynx draft Gopher star Wagner By Bruce Strand She is just the second home-grown player ever drafted by the Lynx, after Susan King, Carlie Wagner, a Minnesota high school of Holy Angels and Stanford, in 2005. King legend who went on to stardom with the played in only three games. Two previous Gophers, now has a chance to play at the Gopher guards drafted by the Lynx, Emily next level, too, in her home state. Fox in 2009 and Shae Kelley in 2015, did not make the team. The 5-10 guard was selected by the four- time WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx at Wagner led New Richland-Hartland-Ellen- the end of the third and final round of the dale-Geneva to three state tournaments and draft on April 12. two state championships in Class 2A. She averaged an incredible 40 points in nine “It’s an amazing opportunity to play with state tournament games. people who have won multiple champi- onships,” Wagner told the Star-Tribune. With the Gophers, Wagner logged 2,215 “They’re elite. Best of the best. To be able points, third-most all-time behind Rachel to learn from them, have them as mentors? Banham and Lindsay Whalen, averaging Incredible.” 17.2 points in 118 career starts. As a senior, she made All-Big Ten first team, averaging Making any WNBA team is difficult, es- 18.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and pecially one that’s coming off its fourth 1.4 steals, shooting 41 percent on three- league championship in seven years, but Carlie Wagner: 2,215 pointers. Wagner is elated to have the opportunity. points for the U of M “Just being a Minnesota girl, growing up Univ. of Minneosta photo “Carlie can score,” said Lynx coach Cheryl here, choosing to stay home through col- Reeve, a Gopher season-ticket holder. “That lege, to be able to stay home professionally is a dream kid just has a knack to put the ball in the hole. I think she come true,” said Wagner. has grown from her freshman to senior year.” Pacesetter Championship Basketball Camps B o y s & G i r l s Reg i s ter Grades 6-12 Sascha Hansen To d a y! 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