Lindsay Whalen joins Minnesota Lynx coaching staff: ‘You miss being in the gym’
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Lindsay Whalen is back where she belongs, and this time, it’s helping coach the team she helped lead to four WNBA championships as a player.
Whalen and Eric Thibault officially joined the Minnesota Lynx coaching staff on Monday, and sat alongside head coach Cheryl Reeve at a news conference at Target Center. Whalen will be an assistant coach, while Thibault will be the associate head coach after being the head coach of the Washington Mystics for the last two seasons.
Whalen said the discussions for joining the staff started while she was a fan courtside as the Lynx made a run to the WNBA Finals, and nearly won their fifth championship.
"It’s pretty much the only thing I’ve been able to think about. I’m just so excited, this team was so fun to watch because of how they played and how you could feel there was this energy and chemistry, it was inspiring," Whalen said. "They did things the right way. I’m thrilled."
Whalen poked fun at herself for using the word "excited" multiple times. She tried "thrilled, elated and ecstatic" to replace them.
"I play Wordle and I play spelling bee every day so I’m really big on the synonyms," Whalen said.
What it means
Whalen is back on the sideline for the first time since stepping down as the University of Minnesota women’s basketball coach after the 2022-23 season. She went 71-76 in five seasons with the Gophers, including 32-58 in Big Ten play. Mark Coyle took a big gamble hiring Whalen, without any previous coaching experience.
She led the Gophers to their only NCAA Final Four appearance in 2004 as a player. She’s won Olympic gold, she’s won WNBA championships. Now, she can help reset that standard with the Lynx.
"Towards the end of the season, Courtney (Williams) stopped listening to me. Now we have a coach, you have to listen to her. You heard all those amazing things, how do you not listen to somebody?" Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve joked. "Whay is a legend for this franchise. What I’m really excited about for Lindsay is that timing is everything. Our time to be together as a coach and be on the same staff is now. You can feel Lindsay’s enthusiasm, it’s palpable."
Whalen took a much-need break from basketball after leaving the Gophers. She wanted down time, played tennis and spent time with family. It was during the Lynx’s playoff run that she realized she missed the game.
"I got to be a fan and just watch. Take it all in and get to the point where you just miss being in the gym, you miss being at practice and at workouts. Having that time to miss it, that’s been positive," Whalen said.
What the players are saying
Several current players were at Monday's news conference. Both Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams played against Whalen before she retired. They say having her experience and pedigree on the bench is only a good thing.
"Just seeing her on the sideline and how excited she was for us, it was really cool. She’s a legend, we played against her, she was a gawd," McBride said. "She’s one of the best players ever to come through this league, so it’s cool to have her on our side for sure."
"I’m excited to just pick her brain. She’s done it, playing against her, doing it at the highest level and winning. I’m excited. I think she’ll be able to take us to that next level," Williams said.