Lynx acquire Whalen and No. 2 overall pick from Connecticut; Send Renee Montgomery and No. 1 pick to Sun

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – Lindsay Whalen is coming home. The Minnesota Lynx today announced that they have acquired former University of Minnesota women’s basketball star and Hutchinson, Minn., native,  along with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft in exchange for guard Renee Montgomery and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft. With the trade, Whalen returns to her home state after elevating the Golden Gopher women’s program to national prominence during her storied four-year career at Minnesota, which included the school’s first-ever Final Four appearance in 2004, her senior year.

“We’re very excited to announce the acquisition of Lindsay Whalen,” said Lynx Executive Vice President Roger Griffith. “She’s a proven, All-Star caliber floor leader who’s in the prime of her career, and we expect her to step in and be a great leader for our team, both on and off the court. She’s been one of the elite point guards in the WNBA for the past six years and brings an extensive amount of playoff experience to our roster. To get a player of Lindsay’s caliber at the peak of her career is a major coup for us. With the addition of Whalen and Rebekkah Brunson, whom we acquired via the dispersal draft of Sacramento Monarchs players, we now have five WNBA All-Stars on our roster and we expect to compete for a WNBA Championship in 2010. We will miss Renee, and thank her for her contributions to our team.”

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to come home and play in front of my hometown fans,” said Whalen. “I believe Minnesota is a team with a lot of talent, and is ready to contend for the top spot in the Western Conference. I’m thrilled with the chance to play with one of the great scorers in the WNBA in Seimone Augustus and learn under the direction of Cheryl Reeve. With that being said, I’m very thankful for everything the Connecticut Sun organization has done for me the past six years; Coach Thibault and the entire staff there. I’m ready for a new challenge and expect to win a lot of games with the Lynx in 2010 and beyond.”

Originally drafted fourth overall in the 2004 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun, Whalen, 27, has averaged 11.6 points, 4.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in 197 career regular season WNBA games (196 starts), all with Connecticut. With 2,290 points, 832 rebounds 964 career assists, Whalen is on pace, in 2009, to become just the third player in WNBA history with 2,500+ points, 1,000+ rebounds and 1,000+ assists (Shannon Johnson and Vickie Johnson). Her 4.9 assists per game ranks fifth all-time in WNBA history. A WNBA All-Star in 2004, Whalen’s best season came in 2008, when she averaged 14.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, a league-leading 5.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game en route to finishing runner-up to Candace Parker for league MVP in the closest vote (277-242) in league history. That year she became just the second player in league history to average at least 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in a season, joining Nikki Teasley. In 2009, the five-foot-nine guard started all 34 regular-season games for Connecticut, averaging 12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game (fifth-most in the WNBA) while recording her fewest turnovers per game of her career, 1.85. 

A veteran of postseason play, Whalen has appeared in 26 playoff games in her six-year WNBA career, posting averages of 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Whalen led the Sun to the WNBA Finals in 2004 and 2005. As a rookie in 2004, Whalen averaged 13.4 points and 5.1 assists in eight playoff games, all starts.

Whalen’s acquisition gives the Lynx five players on their roster who have previously been selected to play in a WNBA All-Star game (Seimone Augustus, 2006 and 2007; Nicky Anosike, 2009; newly-acquired Rebekkah Brunson, 2007; Charde Houston, 2009; Whalen, 2004).

“Obviously, the entire Minnesota Lynx organization is thrilled to have Lindsay Whalen in a Lynx uniform,” said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to coach such a talented point guard. Lindsay’s court awareness, ability to rebound, leadership skills and decision-making in the half court will have a great impact on our team.”

A native of Hutchinson, Minn., and Hutchinson High School’s career scoring leader, Whalen chose to stay home and play collegiately for her hometown Minnesota Golden Gophers. During her historic four-year run at Minnesota, Whalen singlehandedly revitalized the Golden Gophers, leading the team to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2002-2004), after the school had been to the NCAA Tournament just once before her arrival. Average attendance at women’s basketball games grew from 1,087 during her freshman season to 9,866 her senior year. Minnesota’s all-time leading scorer with 2,285 points, Whalen became the first player from the University of Minnesota to earn All-American honors in three different seasons (2002-2004). A two-time Wade Trophy Finalist (2003, 2004), which is given annually to the top collegiate player, Whalen was just the third player in Big Ten history to garner Player of the Year honors as a sophomore (2002).

The most decorated player in Golden Gopher program history, Whalen owns school records in points, scoring average, games in double figures, free throws made and free throw percentage. A two-time Naismith Award Finalist, Whalen also placed among the top ten leaders in field goals made, field goal attempts, field goal percentage, three-pointers made, three-pointers attempted, three-point field goal percentage, free throws attempted, assists and steals. Whalen became the school’s all-time leading scorer on January 25, 2004 against Michigan State, surpassing 1994 Wade Trophy winner Carol Ann Shudlick. Whalen’s 2,285 career point total ranks fifth all-time in Big Ten history. Whalen, a three-time All-Big Ten First Team honoree (2002 – 2004), is the only four-time Team MVP in school history. Whalen’s number 13 is retired and honored with a banner hanging from the rafters in Williams Arena.

Whalen capped her remarkable collegiate career with an improbable run to the 2004 Final Four. As the #7 seed in the Mideast Regional, the Golden Gophers defeated #10 seed UCLA, #2 seed Kansas State, #3 seed Boston College and #1 seed Duke to reach the program’s first-ever Final Four. In five NCAA Tournament games that year, Whalen averaged 19.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game, earning NCAA Mideast Region MVP honors. Whalen’s 27-point, 6-rebound, 4-assist, 4-steal effort lifted the Gophers over Duke in the Elite Eight. Whalen tallied 11 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in Minnesota’s 67-58 Final Four loss to Connecticut. In 10 career NCAA Tournament appearances, Whalen holds averages of 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.

Whalen will be the fourth Minnesota native to play for the Lynx, joining Minneapolis North’s Tamara Moore, Susan King Borchardt of Holy Angels and Rochester’s Kelly Miller. Whalen is currently playing in Prague, Czech Republic, averaging 14.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game in eight EuroLeague contests and 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 11 ZBL games with USK Prague.

With the trade, the Lynx now own the Nos. 2 and 3 picks in the 2010 WNBA Draft, the first time in league history that a team has owned multiple picks in the top 3.

Montgomery, originally drafted fourth overall in 2009 by the Lynx, heads to Connecticut after averaging 9.0 points, 2.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game her rookie year.

Photo by Tom Dahlin

The Lynx added more talent to their roster in today’s WNBA dispersal draft selecting veteran forward Rebekkah Brunson from the defunct Sacramento Monarch’s roster. The Lynx had the 2nd selection in the draft based on their 14-20 record last season. Nicole Powell was chosen by New York with the top pick.

Drafted 10th overall out of Georgetown by Sacramento in 2004, Brunson helped the Monarchs win a WNBA title in 2005 and was an All Star in 2007. She averaged 12.3 points and 7 rebounds per game in 2009.

It has been a tumultuous off-season for the WNBA, in addition to Sacramento folding, Detroit relocated to Tulsa, OK. The addition of Brunson comes less than a week after the Lynx named Cheryl Reeve their new head coach after negotiations with Jennifer Gillom broke down. Reeve is the team’s third coach since May.

For the second time in 5 seasons, the Minnesota Lynx have the No. 1 overall selection in the WNBA draft. The franchise was awarded the prize in yesterday’s WNBA draft lottery thanks to earlier trade involving the New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks.

In May, the Lynx dealt 3rd year point guard Noelle Quinn to L.A. and received New York’s 1st round draft choice while the Liberty picked up guard Sidney Spencer. Quinn had become expendable after the team drafted Renee Montgomery in April. New York meanwhile, finished a disappointing 13-21 last season, the league’s second worst record.

The Lynx also won the lottery in 2006 and selected Seimone Augustus of LSU No. 1 overall. Augustus, a three-time All Star and Olympian, was playing at a MVP-type level before tearing her ACL in June, just 6 games into the season. The 14-20 Lynx also secured the No. 4 spot with their own pick. They are the first team since 2002 to hold two picks in the top 4.

With a healthy Augustus, a more seasoned Montgomery, returning All Stars Charde Houston and Nicky Anosike and the addition of two blue-chip rookies, the Lynx should finally realize their potential and contend for a league title in 2010. The pressure is on.

Unlike their NBA brethren, the draft lottery has occasionally been kind to the Minnesota Lynx. In 2006, the franchise was awarded the No. 1 overall pick and selected superstar Seimone Augustus.

In Thursday’s lottery however, luck won’t be needed nearly as much. Thanks to an earlier trade, the Lynx hold New York’s 1st rounder and are assured of landing two of the top 5 picks in the 2010 draft.

According to the Lynx Media Relations department, here are the possible combinations:

Picks               Pct
1-2                  11.13
1-3                 15.49
1-4                 15.26
1-5                   0.92
2-3                 19.57
2-4                 17.70
2-5                   0.77
3-4                 15.21
3-5                  0.63
4-5                  3.32

It’s been a hectic few weeks for Minnesota’s pro sports franchises, here is one observer’s take on the events that have unfolded….

TWINS
Don’t look now, but the local nine have inched back into contention and have a realistic chance of reaching the postseason.  If I were a betting man, I would wager against it happening with the starting rotation in tatters and Justin Morneau in the midst of another late season power outage.  Even so, the squad could make the last month in the Metrodome a memorable one.

I would also like to take this opportunity to give some credit to Twins GM Bill Smith.  While he hasn’t made a big ticket trade this year, Smith has made solid deals that have made his team better – acquiring Orlando Cabrera, Carl Pavano, Jon Rauch and Ron Mahay – without damaging the long term prospects of the organization.

VIKINGS
Unless you’ve been stranded in the north woods the past two weeks, you know the Vikings have signed Brett Favre.  He’ll start of course, no new news there.  The real story now is which other QB won’t be wearing purple this season.  It looks like Tarvaris Jackson will be the odd man out.  I think that would be a mistake.  John David Booty is the most expendable and at 31, Sage Rosenfels is more unproven than the 26-year-old Jackson.

TIMBERWOLVES
Thanks for nothing Ricky Rubio and Rick Kahn. Because of Kahn’s unrequited man-crush on the Spanish star, Johnny Flynn is our only reward for last year’s miserable season.

LYNX
At the All Star break the Lynx were 10-7 and look poised to earn their first postseason trip in 5 years. Since then they’ve gone 2-11 and are now tied for the 2^nd worst record in the WNBA.  D…E…P…R…E…S…S…I…N…G…

WILD
The Wild recently unveiled their new alternate jerseys. That’s all I have to say about that.