The gold medal is the first for Moore and Whalen, second for Augustus

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – With the team’s 86-50 victory over France, the 2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team captured the USA’s fifth consecutive gold medal on Saturday. The medal is the first for Minnesota Lynx players Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen, and second for Seimone Augustus, who previously won the gold during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

“I’m extremely proud of Seimone, Lindsay and Maya on their success in London,” said Lynx Executive Vice President Roger Griffith. “As an organization, we were captivated by the play of the USA women during the Olympics, and our three players did an excellent job representing themselves, their country, their family and the Lynx organization. We look forward to celebrating their return to Minnesota and continuing the WNBA season as we try to defend the WNBA title.”

Minnesota’s trio of Olympians scored a combined 17 points during the gold medal game on Saturday, including a 6-point, 7-rebound from Moore. In her second career Olympics, Augustus averaged 7.8 points during the tournament in just over 18 minutes per game. Appearing in each of their first Olympics, Whalen averaged 8.0 points on 56.4% shooting, while Moore averaged 9.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

Joining Moore and Whalen in winning their first gold medal is Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun) and Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), while Swin Cash (Chicago Sky), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky) and Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks) join Augustus as the team’s two-time gold medal winners. Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) have now won three gold medals.

En route to winning the gold, the USA women won all eight of their games during tournament play, extending the USA’s Olympic winning streak to 41 games, dating back to the 1992 bronze medal victory over Cuba. The team’s 8-0 record during the London Olympics improves the U.S. women’s overall Olympic record to 57-3 dating back to the addition of women’s basketball in 1976

While Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen and Maya Moore are off chasing Olympic glory in London, their more unheralded teammates are sweating out the summer on the practice court at the Lifetime Fitness in Target Center.

The break came at a perfect time for the Lynx, giving their battered front court of Rebekkah Brunson, Jessica Adair and rookie Devereaux Peters time to get healthy. All three are expected back when the Lynx resume play on August 17.

After winning a WNBA title last season, conventional logic said that Taj McWilliams-Franklin had played her last professional game and would join likely the coaching ranks. The 41-year-old had other ideas however, and with the encouragement of Coach Cheryl Reeve, returned for the 2012 season.

I caught up with the veteran center recently and had a candid discussion about a variety of topics.

DZ: You guys are on break right now, that’s got to be kind of different. What’s that like – all practices, no games?

McWILLIAMS-FRANKLIN: For me it’s not fun, but I go through it. This is my 4th Olympics in the WNBA, so I am used to the break. It helps, you get a lot more rest, your body gets to recover. I play year-round overseas and the WNBA, it’s a welcome break – not for the Olympians, but for us. You give confidence to the players you don’t play as much, tighten up some things and actually work on fundamentals, which every team is happy about I’m sure.

DZ: What’s it like not having the Big 3 here while you are practicing?

McWILLIAMS-FRANKLIN: It helps with the other players because if you have an injury and something happens to someone, you’ve got to have players who are ready to step in. I think during the break when the Big 3 are gone, now Monica (Wright) has an opportunity to come in and play some more, you get more confidence in other players and how they play. Me and Rebekkah (Brunson), we are playing with two or three players we haven’t played with unless something happens. When Seimone got injured, Monica started; maybe you don’t know her rhythm, what she likes to do. With the Big 3 gone, now we get used to everybody. I know which way Monica likes to go, I know which way Erin (Thorn) likes to go, I know which way Candice Wiggins likes to go. For us, it gives us an opportunity to see other players in those roles.

DZ: I wanted to ask you about Monica Wright. Her confidence – she seems like a whole different player this year. What are your thoughts on her?

McWILLIAMS-FRANKLIN: Monica is a great person and she’s a great player. I think it goes hand-in-hand with how hard she works. She went overseas this offseason and really worked on her game and came back and was determined – after winning a title, a lot of players come in and regress on what they did before – Monica Wright is trying to get better. She has a sky-high confidence level; her ball handling is much tighter, her defense is better – she’s strong, fast and she’s capable. When you put that in with her confidence level right now – it’s been amazing.

DZ: Obviously you are back this year. What was that process like, was it a tough decision for you?

McWILLIAMS-FRANKLIN: It was tough as far as my family and just being 41. Coach Reeve said at the beginning she wanted me back and the organization wanted me back, so for me it was just about working through the process I do at the end of every year – trying to figure out where I want to go, if it’s time for me to stop, how my body responds from being overseas – things like that. For me it was a hard decision for personal reasons, not professional reasons.

DZ: Was there any part of you that thought, “I am over 40 now, I won a championship, may this is the time to check out and do something else?”

McWILLIAMS-FRANKLIN: For a long time, a couple of months. You know, I am a competitor and it’s been a long time since the LA Sparks repeated, the Houston Comets repeated and it’s something that we wanted to do – be the first team in a dozen or so years to repeat. That was something that was pushing me and being over 40, that’s pushing me also. How many years can I play competitively at a high level with a great team and not rely on someone else to get me through. Being a competitor pushes you and you think in your mind, “I want to do this again.”

DZ: Your nickname is “Mama Taj” and obviously, you are a mature player. You seem to embrace that, but is there any part of you that gets tired of the old jokes or talking about your age all of the time?

McWILLIAMS-FRANKLIN: Definitely. I get tired of that a lot more than it seems because I am just gracious. I get tired of hearing the announcers on TV when I make a move (say), “41-year-old”. It gets annoying at times, the “Mama Taj” does not, but the talk about my age and everything like that (does). There are a handful of NBA players who played after 40, I watched those telecasts (and) I don’t remember anyone saying, “40-year-old Robert Parrish scores”, no it was just “Robert Parrish gets another bucket” and I think it should be the same (with me).

DZ: One last thing, what are Coach Reeve’s themes heading into the second half?

McWILLIAMS-FRANKLIN: Our focus is always the same. We focus on winning the West, protecting home court and getting a great seed for the playoffs and trying to win another title.

See more of David Zingler’s interviews with Lynx players:

July 10: Erin Thorn
June 21: Devereaux Peters

While the Minnesota Lynx have been scuffling a bit lately, losing three straight before today’s victory at Tulsa, they still sit fairly comfortably atop the Western Conference and hold the WNBA’s best record. The defending champs remain the team to beat.

Reserve guard Erin Thorn has had a great view of it all. The 10-year veteran spent six years in New York and the last three in Chicago before signing a free agent contract with the Lynx in February. Acting as the third point guard behind Lindsay Whalen and Candice Wiggins, Thorn’s minutes have been sparse, but as a competent, competitive professional she stays ready to go if her number is called.

The 31-year-old and I discussed a variety of topics following practice last week.

DZ: You guys are pretty close to the midway point (of the season), what are your impressions so far?

THORN: We’ve had good moments and we’ve had bad moments. We’ve talked about it several times; we are not where we want to be, but we are working toward it and that’s always a good thing. We recognize there is room for improvement and we just have to continue to work on those things.

DZ: When you lose a game like you did the other day, when are winning this much, is it hard not to keep perspective on (the loss) and not overreact to that?

THORN: Yeah (laughs), whether you have 13 wins or not, a loss hurts and it’s a good time for us to reflect and look back and say “You know what, yeah we’ve been winning, but we haven’t been playing well even when we’ve been winning.” The losses magnify things, but it’s a good time for us to reflect and it will probably help us progress.

DZ: You were a free agent last winter, what made you decide to come here?

THORN: A chance to win a championship. I don’t think you can pass that up. They are hard to come by and this team, with the talent we have, have a big opportunity to do something that hasn’t been done (for 10 years), a repeat and I have an opportunity to get my first. It’s exciting.

DZ: Obviously this team has a loaded roster and you’re not getting a lot of minutes, how much more important does that make the practices?

THORN: It’s always important, whether you are playing or not. This is professional athletics and you have to always keep yourself ready, you never know when somebody is going to get hurt – nobody wants that, but things happen. You always have to stay ready because you never know when your number is going to be called…it’s like any other job, you have to do your part for the team.

DZ: You did some coaching at BYU (her alma mater) in the past, is that something you could see yourself doing in the future?

THORN: Yeah. Anything around the sport, whether it’s coaching or like a personal trainer-type individual – one-on-one type stuff. Just to be around the sport would be an amazing opportunity.

DZ: You’ve played with Becky Hammon in New York and now Lindsay Whalen, two of the best point guards probably ever, what’s the same and what’s different about those two?

THORN: They are both crafty, especially off pick-and-roll situations. Lindsay is great at using her body, Becky’s great at attacking help defenders and being creative and they are good at keeping their dribble through traffic. Differences: like I said, Lindsay’s size helps her when she gets down in that lane with the contact, Becky has to rely on more floater-type situations – she is really good at kicking out and finding shooters. They have a lot of similarities in their games and they are both great point guards.

DZ: One last thing, I noticed your shoes are a little different – low top shoes – they almost look like tennis shoes. Are they tennis shoes?

THORN: They are actually tennis shoes. I always wear a low, between a tennis and a basketball (shoe), there is not much difference. A lot of the movement is the same – lateral and the forward – so support wise they are very similar.

DZ: Do you like the added ankle flexibility?

THORN: I do. My ankle bones are really boney, so if I wear a high, they usually seem to rub and I get little sores on my ankle bones.

If it aint broke, don’t fix it; that was the Minnesota Lynx philosophy this past offseason. When you go 34-8 and win a championship, it’s only logical. The team dealt Charde Houston and Alexis Hornbuckle to Phoenix – both played sparingly in 2011 – to open up two roster spots. One went to veteran guard Erin Thorn and the other was reserved for the No. 3 overall selection in April’s draft, acquired in a trade with Washington last year.

The Lynx chose Notre Dame forward Devereaux Peters with the pick. The 6-2 Peters averaged 10.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game during her collegiate career, helping the Fighting Irish reach two consecutive national championship games. She was known for her defense and making the hustle plays. On a Lynx team loaded with stars, that made her a perfect fit.

While Peters isn’t seeing big minutes with the Lynx – she is currently averaging under 12 per contest – she has scored in double figures twice and is shooting .611 from the field. Peters and I chatted after practice on Wednesday about her rookie season.

DZ: You’re about a third into your first (WNBA) season, how’s it going for you so far?

PETERS: It’s good, I am enjoying it. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do my whole life, it’s nice to finally get to this point.

DZ: A lot times players who come from great college programs like you do, when they get to the pros they are maybe going to start having to get used to losing a little bit more, then you come to this team and they start 10-0. We’re you surprised by that?

PETERS: Not really. They were a great team who had everybody coming back from last year, so it wasn’t to shocking to have the success we’ve had so far.

DZ: Is it intimidating at all coming into a team that won a championship last year and has so many star players?

PETERS: It was at first, but the ladies on this team are so humble and down-to-earth, you lose that really quickly after being around them for awhile.

DZ: Is there anyone in particular who reached out to you?

PETERS: Yeah, everybody – at whatever point they came into training camp, (they came) in with open arms, introduced themselves and talked to me and showed me the ropes a little bit. There really wasn’t anybody in particular; everybody played their part I think.

DZ: You lost the national championship game, which obviously is disappointing, did it help at all to have that quick turnaround with the draft; have all of that excitement?

PETERS: Yeah it did because I didn’t have time to dwell on it; you have to move onto the next step. It was nice to have that quick turnaround and come in here and focus on this season instead of what I had just lost.

DZ: It’s only been a couple of months, but does that seem like a long time ago after all of this?

PETERS: Yeah, you play a lot of games in a short period of time so it does seem like a long time ago.

DZ: You have the Olympic break coming up, do have anything planned?

PETERS: We get a small, little break where we can go home, so I am going to go home, go back to school for a little bit, work out there and see some family.

DZ: One last thing, I noticed during the game that the PA announcer has an exciting way of saying your name (D-D-D-Devereaux Peters!!!), did you have any idea he was going to do that?

PETERS: Nah, I didn’t even notice it actually. I was just out there playing; I didn’t even hear it (laughs).

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team’s 2012 training camp roster. This year’s players include: free agent signee Erin Thorn, draftees Devereaux Peters, Kayla Standish and Julie Wojta, and training camp invitees Queralt Casas, Jasmine Lee, Tavelyn James, Porsche Poole and Brittany Rayburn. The new additions finalize Minnesota’s Training Camp roster at 18 players.

The Lynx open training camp on Sunday, April 29 with the team’s first practice of the 2012 season from 3-5:30 p.m. in the Life Time Fitness Training Center. Media access will begin at 5 p.m., with players and coaches available for interviews immediately after the conclusion of practice.

Due to overseas commitments, Lynx players Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Amber Harris, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen will not be present at the beginning of camp. Augustus, Moore and Whalen will also be absent from camp from May 11-13 for the USA Basketball Women’s National Team training camp in Seattle, Washington.

Erin Thorn, a 5-9 guard, was signed by the Lynx on Monday, February 13. She averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 assists per game in 16.8 minutes per game last season, while shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range and 94.7 percent (18-of-19) from the charity stripe. A nine-year veteran who formerly played with the New York Liberty and Chicago Sky, Thorn has averaged 5.1 points in 16.0 minutes per game during her career while shooting 37.3 percent from three-point range.

Devereaux Peters, a 6-2 forward, was selected with the third overall pick by the Lynx in the 2012 WNBA Draft. Peters was a key part of the very successful Notre Dame program over the last five seasons, reaching both of the last two NCAA Championship games. She was named the Big EAST Defensive Player of the Year in each of the last two seasons. Peters finished her collegiate career as just the fourth player in the last 10 years to have multiple 60-block, 60-steal and 60-assist seasons, as well as the first player in program history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 blocks, 200 steals and 200 assists in a career.

Kayla Standish, a 6-2 forward, was drafted with the 19th overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft. Just the third player in Gonzaga history to be drafted into the WNBA, Standish finished her senior season with the Bulldogs averaging a team-high 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. She finished her career as the school leader in both games played (138) and blocks (176), while ranking fifth in rebounds (809) and seventh in both points (1,583) and field goal percentage (48.8 percent).

Julie Wojta, a 6-2 guard/forward, was drafted with the 18th overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft to become the first player in Wisconsin-Green Bay history to be drafted. As a senior with the Phoenix, Wojta led the Horizon League with 19.5 points and 3.8 steals per game last season while leading the team to its first Sweet Sixteen appearance in school history. She finished the season by being named a member of the AP All-America Second Team, the first player in program history to earn All-America status.

Queralt Casas, a 5-11 forward, represented Spain in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women. She averaged 10.0 points and 3.6 rebounds in 28.2 minutes per game in the competition, shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. This past season, Casas played in the Spanish League with Mann Filter, averaging 9.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 27.4 minutes per game.

Jasmine Lee, a 6-2 forward/center, averaged 13.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game with Memphis in the last two years after transferring from the University of Georgia prior to the 2009-10 season. She was named the Conference USA Player of the Year in 2012 as well as being named to the C-USA First Team All-Conference.

Tavelyn James, a 5-7 guard, averaged 23.8 points per game as a senior with Eastern Michigan University, leading the Eagles in scoring for the fourth consecutive season en route to being named the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Conference Player of the Year. James finished her career in the top three of MAC history in points (2nd; 2,470), scoring average (3rd; 19.1 ppg), three-pointers (3rd; 291) and field goals (3rd; 863).

Porsche Poole, a 5-8 guard, averaged a team-high 13.4 points per game this season for Michigan State, an increase of 7.3 points from her junior season, the seventh-largest point jump in MSU history. She finished her senior season averaging career highs in points, rebounds (3.3 rpg), assists (3.4 apg) and steals (1.3 spg), earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors.

Brittany Rayburn, a 6-0 guard, averaged a team-high 14.8 points per game for Purdue last season while ranking second on the team with a career-high 4.2 rebounds per game. She finished her collegiate career in the top 10 in school history for points (6th; 1,795), three-pointers (2nd; 201), free throw percentage (3rd; 82.1 percent) and made free throws (3rd; 538).

2012 Lynx Training Camp Roster

Head Coach:              Cheryl Reeve (La Salle)

Assistant Coaches:   Jim Petersen (Minnesota), Shelley Patterson (Washington State)

Athletic Trainers:       Chuck Barta (Wisconsin-La Crosse), Keith Uzpen (Minnesota State, Mankato)

* Will miss the start of training camp due to overseas commitments

^ Will be a part of the 2012 USA Basketball Women’s National Team training camp from May 11-13 in Seattle, Wash.