Minnesota Lynx acquire ex-Gophers star Lindsay Whalen

Former University of Minnesota women's basketball star Lindsay Whalen is coming home.

[St Paul Mom]

Hope it's not tooo late. They should of gotten her from the beginning.

[Dicky]

Nice to see, but it's about 5 years too late.

[Oh Danny Boy]

" We got "em!"

[IT DOESNT MATTER]

GOOD LUCK LINDSAY

[Rumblebee]

Glen Taylor should have forced the team to do the deal when Whalen was drafted. Four starters for Whalen would have been a steep price, but how many of the four were even with the Lynx a few years later? It would have taken a few years to rebuild around Whalen, but at least the team would have been on the map.

Truly sad it took this long. I don't feel sad for the Lynx, but for the fans she had at the U of M who weren't able to cheer for her the last six years!

This was the same lack of management that has ruined the Wolves and kept them from getting the full benefit of having Kevin Garnett for over a decade.

[I am not a fan - but]

Nicely done Lynx. I am not a fan or a follower of the team or league, but this should help, off the court and hopefully on the court. Seemed like a no-brainer for the Lynx.
To you negative Nellies who commented on this trade, Grow Up.

[Too Little Too Late]

Drafting Whalen in 2004 would have generated massive local attention for the Lynx. Now, most people are surprised to learn the team is still around. I know winning's everything, but when you're a women's basketball team in a small market, getting rears in the seats is more important. Lindsey Whalen would have done that as the Lynx's draft pick. Too much time has passed now for this move to have even 1/10th of the impact that drafting her would have had.

[Maplegal]

Next they should try to get McCarville.

Should have been done out of college when everyone loved to watch her play, and she was votes the most popular MN sports figure in 2004.

I will definitely go now.

[tkachuk7]

how can this be on your website when the 2:00 press conference hasn't even happened yet?

[Hazen]

Those so-called "fans" who are ripping on this trade as being too late, would've been ripping on the team and league no matter what the Lynx would've done, no matter when this would've happened. They don't see the WNBA as a viable sports league and want to see them fail. That said, as a strict basketball move, it puts the Lynx in a good move to finally get into the playoffs and make a serious run for the WNBA championship. In fact, it's rather ironic that the local WNBA team has had better luck in trying to get good and competitive talent than its NBA counterpart.

[kelly]

they would trade for McCarville but they're over the 5-layer burrito salary cap... the last 2 they had were what tipped the scale for the whalen deal.

[Yawn a minute]

I remember when the press was so desperate for a female sports star they tried saying Whalen was on same level as Puckett, Killebrew and Garnett for popularity. NOT!!

[BeepBeepBellizea re]

A while back I posted a comment at the Strib site about the poor attendance at Lynx games. I said that if they wanted to get people interested in their games they should play some top boys high school teams because they'd be comparable in talent and you could do a battle of the sexes thing. A lot of people would love to go see it. The always alert PC police at the Strib quickly removed the comment.

But that is why the WNBA struggles and never has caught on. No amount of pretending can fool the public, no matter how hard they wish it to be so. These are not NBA players who happen to be women. Few bought the idea when the league started and even fewer buy it now.

My two cents for the shaky WNBA? Have some fun and quit trying to be something you're not.

[Clueless]

Hazen wrote:

Those so-called "fans" who are ripping on this trade as being too late, would've been ripping on the team and league no matter what the Lynx would've done, no matter when this would've happened. They don't see the WNBA as a viable sports league and want to see them fail. That said, as a strict basketball move, it puts the Lynx in a good move to finally get into the playoffs and make a serious run for the WNBA championship. In fact, it's rather ironic that the local WNBA team has had better luck in trying to get good and competitive talent than its NBA counterpart.

I am not ripping the trade, nor do I give a rats rear end whether or not
the league succeeds or fails. But as for your contention, the WNBA is NOT
a viable sports league and the folding of franchise after franchise and the
leagues bottom line speaks for itself. The "so-called fans" who refuse to
accept that are faithful, but badly misguided.

As for comparing the Lynx and "its NBA counterpart", they are both owned
and operated by the same person; that is the only ironic part. Taylor has
mismanaged both franchises too badly for someone with his business instincts
to believe it is just a goofy owner not knowing what he is doing in sports.
The Sun wouldn't make this trade for anything less than 4 starters and now
is making it for one 2nd year player and a swap of draft picks? REALLY?
And the net result is they will get at least one and probably two CT players
while we get our home town star..........does anyone out there
believe that the WNBA didn't step in and order this trade? Taylor probably
had no say in it. I have always believed he is too willing to lose money
year after year on these two franchises; is it possible they are just tax
write offs for his other business money makers?

Anyway, welcome home, Lindsay.

[Yawn a minute]

BeepBeepBellizeare wrote:

A while back I posted a comment at the Strib site about the poor attendance at Lynx games. I said that if they wanted to get people interested in their games they should play some top boys high school teams because they'd be comparable in talent and you could do a battle of the sexes thing. A lot of people would love to go see it. The always alert PC police at the Strib quickly removed the comment.
But that is why the WNBA struggles and never has caught on. No amount of pretending can fool the public, no matter how hard they wish it to be so. These are not NBA players who happen to be women. Few bought the idea when the league started and even fewer buy it now.
My two cents for the shaky WNBA? Have some fun and quit trying to be something you're not.

Yup! And tell that to the online petitioners who "demand" WNBA players be paid the same as NBA players!

I hate this PC pretending and exagerating the WNBA's relevance!

[Lindsay finally home]

I was one of many who called the lynx after they let Linsay go to Conn. to tell them what a mistake they were making. They told me Conn was asking too much to give Lindsay up and that they were setting their sites on McCarvel.

Now that they've finally traded for Lindsay I say its to late the WNBA and the LYNX will be gone in a year.

[Zelda Gilroy]

Yawn a minute wrote:

<quoted text>
Yup! And tell that to the online petitioners who "demand" WNBA players be paid the same as NBA players!
I hate this PC pretending and exagerating the WNBA's relevance!

Equal pay, for that clown act??.....LOL, now thats funny!
Just for shits and giggles why dont they have a WNBA and NBA all star game.
Never mind, that would be as stupid as equal pay.

[Demented]

I thought the Lynx had folded up and were gone. I can not think of wasting my money watching womens basketball, it's like watching paint dry. They need more thugs to ramp up interest.

[MN clueless]

Nice of all the haters who don't care to take time out of their busy schedules and pay attention to the WNBA lol. Keep it coming. As for getting Whalen in the draft that CT coach wasn't going to trade her to MN even if they had offered the 4 starters. He's only making the deal w/MN because the Lynx actually had something he wanted. CT dropped Whalen like a sack of potatoes to get the center from Uconn. Good for the Lynx, they got the PG they need to do damage in the play-offs and all the bandwagon jumpers are welcome to bash & watch in private so no one will see you really do have interest, lol. WELCOME HOME LINDSAY and GO LYNX !!!!

[setshot]

Lindsay did the impossible when she played for the Gophers. She made women's basketball relevent for one brief shining moment.. Women's basketball is painful to watch and cannot survive financially on its own. I agree that an average high school boys team would beat the Lynx and some good junior varsity teams would beat them too.