Minnesota Lynx

Minnesota Lynx
Conference Western
Founded 1998
History Minnesota Lynx
1999–present
Arena Target Center
Xcel Energy Center (2016-17)
City Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sponsor Mayo Clinic
Team colors Blue, green, light blue, silver, red, white[1]
                             
Owner(s) Glen Taylor
General manager Roger Griffith
Head coach Cheryl Reeve
Assistant coaches Shelley Patterson
Jim Petersen
Championships 3 (2011, 2013, 2015)
Conference titles 5 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Mascot Prowl
Official website lynx.wnba.com

The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded prior to the 1999 season. The team is owned by Glen Taylor, who also owns the Lynx' NBA counterpart, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lynx have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in eight of their eighteen years in Minnesota. The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, and 2015. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as Katie Smith,[2] explosive small-forward Seimone Augustus,[3] native Minnesotan Lindsay Whalen,[4] and Connecticut standout Maya Moore.[5]

Franchise history

Joining the league (1998–2004)

On April 22, 1998, the WNBA announced they would add two expansion teams (Minnesota and the Orlando Miracle) for the 1999 season. The team was officially named the Minnesota Lynx on December 5, 1998. The Lynx started their inaugural season in 1999 with 12,122 fans in attendance to watch the first regular-season game against the Detroit Shock at Target Center. The Lynx defeated Detroit 68-51 in the franchise's first game. They finished their first season 15–17 overall and held the same record in 2000.

In 2001, the Lynx took a turn for the worse as they posted a 12–20 record.

The Lynx' first head coach Brian Agler was released during the 2002 season after compiling a 47–67 record in three-plus seasons. Heidi VanDerveer became the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The team finished the 2002 season with a 10–22 record, worst in franchise history (until 2006).

In 2003, the Lynx hired Suzie McConnell Serio as head coach. She led the team to finish with a franchise-best 18–16 record and advanced to the WNBA Playoffs for the first time. They matched both of these feats in the 2004 season.

Seimone Augustus joins the team (2005–2007)

Seimone Augustus

The 2005 season was one of transition for the franchise. Leading scorer Katie Smith was dealt to Detroit in July and the team stumbled down the stretch, missing the playoffs for the first time in three years. The poor finish did pay off however, as the team won the draft lottery and selected All-American guard Seimone Augustus of Louisiana State University with the first overall pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft.

The Lynx began the 2006 season as the youngest team in the WNBA. On May 31, the team set the WNBA single game scoring record (at the time), routing the Los Angeles Sparks by a score of 114–71. That victory however, was a rare bright spot in a frustrating season. With her team floundering to an 8–15 record, head coach Suzie McConnell Serio resigned on July 23. She was replaced by assistant Carolyn Jenkins, who piloted the squad to a 2–9 finish. The team's 24 losses set a franchise record.

Following the season, Augustus was named the 2006 WNBA Rookie of the Year. The 22-year-old was the second player in team history to win the award.

On December 13, 2006, the Lynx named veteran NBA assistant Don Zierden their fifth head coach. His staff included Carolyn Jenkins former Lynx player Teresa Edwards.

In the 2007 WNBA Draft, the Lynx traded center Tangela Smith, who they acquired in the dispersal draft from the Charlotte Sting, to the Phoenix Mercury for point guard Lindsey Harding, who had been selected first overall.

The Lynx began the 2007 season 0–7, lost ten straight in July and failed to get into the playoff race. They finished tying a league worst 10–24 record. On November 1, 2007, assistant coach/former head coach Carolyn Jenkins was named Director of Player Personnel of the WNBA.

Hot starts without results (2008–2009)

The 2008 season started out much different for the Lynx than in previous years. They came flying out of the gates, going 7–1 in the first five weeks of the season. The Lynx then cooled off. They managed to play competitive basketball all season, but lost many key games down the stretch. In the end, the Lynx finished with a respectable 16–18 record in a tough Western Conference where every team was in the playoff chase until the final week of the season. The Lynx however, did not qualify. After two consecutive 10–24 seasons, the 2008 Lynx was a step in the right direction.

In 2009, Don Zierden resigned just days before the start of the season. Jennifer Gillom who replaced Teresa Edwards as an assistant coach the previous year, was promoted to head coach. Another Zierden Lynx assistant, former NBA player Jim Petersen stayed with Gillom during the season, working with post players Charde Houston and Nicky Anosike. The Lynx saw similar results in 2008...started with a good run (7–3), but lost many key games, including a horrific six-game losing streak, and finished 14–20, out from the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

A new team and the first championship (2010–2011)

Whalen, McWilliams-Franklin, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, and Augustus in 2011

After five disappointing seasons, the offseason brought much more impact to the franchise. The team hired former Detroit Shock assistant coach Cheryl Reeve as their new head coach, parting ways with Jennifer Gillom, who took the head coaching job of the Los Angeles Sparks. The Lynx also made some moves in the off-season by selecting Rebekkah Brunson in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft, and trading their first overall pick of the 2010 WNBA Draft and Renee Montgomery to the Connecticut Sun for former Minnesota Gopher Lindsay Whalen and the second overall pick. They added free agent Hamchétou Maïga to the lineup, and selected University of Virginia guard Monica Wright with the second pick in the 2010 Draft. With these offseason transactions, the Lynx looked forward to a much improved 2010 season, which was echoed by the eighth annual WNBA general manager poll. 45% of the general managers declared the Lynx the most-improved team as the 2010 season began.

The selection of Maya Moore during the 2011 WNBA Draft led many people to believe the Lynx to be championship contenders for the 2011 season. The team finally lived up to expectations in 2011, behind stellar play from Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Maya Moore, and Lindsay Whalen, all of whom were named to the 2011 Western Conference All-Star Team. The Lynx went into the All-Star break with a 10–4 record, good for first place in the conference.[6] After losing to Phoenix in a 112–105 contest at Target Center on July 13, the Lynx went on a nine-game winning streak, at the time a franchise record and the longest in the league for 2011. The team finished with a 27-7 record, best in the WNBA and in team history.

The Lynx earned the top overall seed in the 2011 WNBA Playoffs. In the first round, they defeated the San Antonio Silver Stars two-games-to-one in the best of three series. The Lynx then swept the Phoenix Mercury in two games to win their first conference championship.[7] In the Finals, the Lynx trailed at halftime in each game, but rallied each time to sweep the Atlanta Dream in three games, securing their first WNBA title, and the first professional championship for the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota Twins won the World Series in 1991. Seimone Augustus was named Finals MVP.

Disappointment and redemption, once and again (2012–present)

full height portrait of a young woman with long dark hair pulled back, wearing uniform that says "Lynx 23"
Maya Moore, 2013 Finals MVP

In 2012, the team began the season 10-0, a franchise and league record.[8] They clinched a playoff berth on August 19, 2012, just 21 games into the season. The team fell to the Indiana Fever in the 2012 WNBA Finals.[9]

The Lynx used both the loss in the Finals and prognosticators' pre-season focus on the Phoenix Mercury's new phenom, Brittney Griner, to motivate themselves for the 2013 season. The Lynx once again had the best record in the West. They completed their comeback, sweeping through the playoffs en route to their second championship in three years, once again defeating the Atlanta Dream.[10] Maya Moore, showing why she's now a superstar in the WNBA, won the 2013 WNBA Finals MVP. In doing so, the Lynx became the second WNBA team and fifth major professional sports franchise to sweep through the postseason.[11]

In 2014, the Lynx again had a successful regular season, claiming the second best record in the league, second only to Griner and the Mercury.[12] However, in the playoffs, the Mercury bested them 2-1 in a three-game series, and the Lynx failed to make the finals for the first time since the 2010 season.[13]

In 2015, two-time Defensive Player of the Year Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky held out of her contract until her wish was granted in July to play for Minnesota.[14] The Lynx would go on to win their third franchise title, all three of them in a five-year span dating back to 2011. Fowles proved herself to be a crucial addition, earning finals MVP honors.[15]

After winning the WNBA titles in 2015, the Lynx qualified to the 2016 WNBA Playoffs as the top seed, only entering in the semifinals to face the Phoenix Mercury. Due to the Target Center entering a renovation, the team moved to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, where the Lynx will remain in the 2017 regular season.[16] A sweep on the Mercury qualified the Lynx for their fifth finals in six years, with the adversary being the Los Angeles Sparks. The Lynx would not repeat their title, as the Sparks edged out the Lynx in a 5 game series, eventually winning game 5 by 1 point.[17]

Uniforms

The home uniforms are white with blue and silver trim. The team jerseys bear the logo of the team's jersey sponsor, The Mayo Clinic, in blue. The road uniforms are blue with silver and white trim and the sponsor logo written in silver. The Lynx use an adidas uniform that is standard throughout the league, and use the WNBA's stylized font for player names and jersey numbers. The Lynx are also one of 10 WNBA teams sponsored by Verizon, whose logo is also prominently featured on their uniforms.

During the 2016 season, the white uniforms were temporarily replaced by a new silver uniform. This was part of a league-wide initiative for its 20th season, in which all games featured all-color uniform matchups.

Lynx Foundation

The Minnesota Lynx Foundation holds an annual "Catwalk for a Cure" event at the Mall of America during the WNBA's Breast Health Awareness Week to raise funds for breast cancer related charities. The 2011 event was held Aug. 5 and raised $5,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.[18]

In 2012, the Lynx hosted the Catwalk for a Cure at the Mall of America rotunda for the first time, occupying the largest staging area inside the country's biggest mall. In addition to displaying outfits, Lynx players ended the show with a dance based on the song "Background" by Lecrae and Andy Mineo. The Lynx Foundation donated a $5,000 grant to the SAGE program, run by the Minnesota Department of Health.[19]

During the WNBA's 2013 Breast Health Awareness Week and in partnership with the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation, the Lynx game against the Indiana Fever on August 25 was a "Pink Out" game at Target Center and on August 29, the 5th annual "Catwalk for a Cure" event was held at the Mall of America .[20] The Lynx donated a $10,000 grant to the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation.[21]

LosLynx

"LosLynx" is the unofficial rallying cry of the Minnesota Lynx. The term's genesis was a 2010 commercial for Bing that parodied telenovellas. The commercial ended with a man yelling "Los Links!" Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen was amused by the commercial and the obvious homophone, and began imitating the cry in practice.

When guard Candice Wiggins, who had been injured for much of the 2010 season, returned in 2011, she heard the phrase in practice. It reminded her of her own thoughts regarding promotions in NBA cities with significant Spanish-speaking populations, in which teams like the Miami Heat would wear jerseys identifying them as "El Heat." She had thought that a promotion for "Los Lynx" would be entertaining.[22]

Eventually, Wiggins tweeted the term as a hashtag on a post about the team. From there, the meme quickly spread throughout the fanbase, inspiring chants and cheers, and even appearing on T-shirts sold by Lynx forward Charde Houston.[23]

Season-by-season records

Players

Roster

Minnesota Lynx roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Height Weight DOB From Yrs
G/F 33 United States Augustus, Seimone 6' 0" (1.83m) 169 lb (77kg) 04-30-1984 LSU 10
F 32 United States Brunson, Rebekkah 6' 2" (1.88m) 185 lb (84kg) 12-11-1981 Georgetown 12
G 51 Spain Cruz, Anna 5' 9" (1.75m) 136 lb (62kg) 10-27-1986 Spain 2
C 34 United States Fowles, Sylvia 6' 6" (1.98m) 212 lb (96kg) 10-06-1985 LSU 8
F 24 United States Hampton, Keisha 6' 1" (1.85m) 171 lb (78kg) 02-22-1990 DePaul R
F 3 United States Howard, Natasha 6' 2" (1.88m) 171 lb (78kg) 09-02-1991 Florida State 2
F/C 4 United States McCarville, Janel 6' 2" (1.88m) 218 lb (99kg) 11-03-1982 Minnesota 8
G 21 United States Montgomery, Renee 5' 7" (1.7m) 143 lb (65kg) 12-02-1986 Connecticut 7
F 23 United States Moore, Maya 6' 0" (1.83m) 178 lb (81kg) 06-11-1989 Connecticut 5
G 7 United States Perkins, Jia 5' 8" (1.73m) 168 lb (76kg) 02-23-1982 Texas Tech 12
G 13 United States Whalen, Lindsay 5' 9" (1.75m) 166 lb (75kg) 05-09-1982 Minnesota 12



East: ATL • CHI • CON • IND • NY • WAS | West: DAL • LA • MIN • PHO • SA • SEA
Head coach
United States Cheryl Reeve (La Salle)
Assistant coaches
United States Shelley Patterson (Washington State)
United States Jim Petersen (Minnesota)
Athletic trainer
United States Chuck Barta (Wisconsin-La Crosse)
Assistant trainer
United States Kate Taber (Iowa)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

WNBA roster page

Other rights owned

Nationality Name Years pro Last played Drafted
 Slovenian Nika Baric 0 N/A 2012

Former players

Team officials

Owners

Head coaches

Minnesota Lynx head coaches
Name Start End Seasons Regular season Playoffs
W L PCT G W L PCT G
Brian Agler November 17, 1998 July 16, 2002 4 48 67 .417 115 0 0 .000 0
Heidi VanDerveer July 16, 2002 end of 2002 1 4 9 .308 13 0 0 .000 0
Suzie McConnell Serio January 21, 2003 July 23, 2006 4 58 67 .464 125 1 4 .200 5
Carolyn Jenkins July 23, 2006 end of 2006 1 2 9 .182 11 0 0 .000 0
Don Zierden December 23, 2006 June 3, 2009 2 26 42 .382 68 0 0 .000 0
Jennifer Gillom June 3, 2009 end of 2009 1 14 20 .412 34 0 0 .000 0
Cheryl Reeve December 8, 2009 Current 7 168 70 .706 238 34 13 .723 47

General managers

Head coach Cheryl Reeve, assistant coach Shelley Patterson, and associate coach Jim Petersen. Reeve was voted WNBA Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2016.

Assistant coaches

Statistics

Minnesota Lynx statistics

Media coverage

Currently, some Lynx games are broadcast on Fox Sports North (FS-N), which is a local television station for the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and parts of Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota and South Dakota. More often than not, NBA TV will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which is shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Lynx television games are Marney Gellner and Lea B. Olsen. Lynx games are carried on Bob 106.1 FM; John Focke broadcasts radio games (and LiveAccess feeds).

All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Lynx games are broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. The WNBA has reached an eight-year agreement with ESPN, which will pay right fees to the Lynx, as well as other teams in the league.[24]

All-time notes

Regular season attendance

Regular season all-time attendance
Year Average High Low Sellouts Total for year WNBA game average
1999 10,494 (5th) 14,171 8,457 0 167,901 10,207
2000 7,290 (12th) 8,622 5,816 0 116,638 9,074
2001 7,538 (11th) 10,489 5,168 0 120,607 9,075
2002 7,819 (11th) 12,544 5,087 0 125,110 9,228
2003 7,074 (12th) 12,747 5,113 0 120,253 8,800
2004 7,418 (11th) 16,227 4,122 0 126,108 8,613
2005 6,673 (12th) 12,891 4,190 0 113,447 8,172
2006 6,442 (12th) 14,793 4,704 0 109,522 7,476
2007 6,971 (12th) 13,004 4,891 0 118,513 7,742
2008 7,057 (12th) 12,276 4,765 0 119,972 7,948
2009 7,537 (9th) 11,245 5,620 0 128,127 8,039
2010 7,622 (8th) 12,311 5,954 0 129,582 7,834
2011 8,447 (6th) 11,820 7,117 0 143,607 7,954
2012 9,683 (2nd) 15,318 7,832 0 164,617 7,453
2013 9,381 (2nd) 16,404 7,913 0 159,483 7,531
2014 9,333 (2nd) 16,413 7,622 0 158,656 7,578
2015 9,364 (2nd) 17,414 7,523 0 159,189 7,184

Draft picks

Trades

All-Stars

Olympians

Honors and awards

  • 2000 Rookie of the Year: Betty Lennox
  • 2000 All-WNBA Second Team: Katie Smith
  • 2000 All-WNBA Second Team: Betty Lennox
  • 2001 All-WNBA First Team: Katie Smith
  • 2002 All-WNBA Second Team: Katie Smith
  • 2003 All-WNBA First Team: Katie Smith
  • 2004 Coach of the Year: Suzie McConnell Serio
  • 2004 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Teresa Edwards
  • 2006 Rookie of the Year: Seimone Augustus
  • 2006 All-WNBA Second Team: Seimone Augustus
  • 2006 All-Rookie Team: Seimone Augustus
  • 2007 All-WNBA Second Team: Seimone Augustus
  • 2008 Sixth Woman of the Year: Candice Wiggins
  • 2008 All-Rookie Team: Nicky Anosike
  • 2008 All-Rookie Team: Candice Wiggins
  • 2009 All-Defensive First Team: Nicky Anosike
  • 2009 All-Rookie Team: Renee Montgomery
  • 2010 All-Defensive Second Team: Rebekkah Brunson
  • 2010 All-Rookie Team: Monica Wright
  • 2011 WNBA Champions
  • 2011 Western Conference Champions
  • 2011 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player: Seimone Augustus
  • 2011 Rookie of the Year: Maya Moore
  • 2011 Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve
  • 2011 All-WNBA First Team: Lindsay Whalen
  • 2011 All-WNBA Second Team: Seimone Augustus
  • 2011 Peak Performer (Assists): Lindsay Whalen
  • 2011 All-Defensive First Team: Rebekkah Brunson
  • 2011 All-Rookie Team: Maya Moore
  • 2012 Western Conference Champions
  • 2012 Peak Performer (Assists): Lindsay Whalen
  • 2012 All-WNBA First Team: Seimone Augustus
  • 2012 All-WNBA Second Team: Lindsay Whalen
  • 2012 All-WNBA Second Team: Maya Moore
  • 2013 WNBA Champions
  • 2013 Western Conference Champions
  • 2013 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player: Maya Moore
  • 2013 All-WNBA First Team: Maya Moore
  • 2013 All-WNBA First Team: Lindsay Whalen
  • 2013 All-WNBA Second Team: Seimone Augustus
  • 2013 All-Defensive Second Team: Rebekkah Brunson
  • 2014 Most Valuable Player: Maya Moore
  • 2014 Peak Performer (Points): Maya Moore
  • 2014 All-WNBA First Team: Maya Moore
  • 2014 All-WNBA Second Team: Seimone Augustus
  • 2014 All-WNBA Second Team: Lindsay Whalen
  • 2014 All-Defensive Second Team: Maya Moore
  • 2015 WNBA Champions
  • 2015 Western Conference Champions
  • 2015 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player: Sylvia Fowles
  • 2015 All-WNBA First Team: Maya Moore
  • 2016 Defensive Player of the Year: Sylvia Fowles
  • 2016 Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve
  • 2016 All-WNBA First Team: Maya Moore
  • 2016 All-WNBA Second Team: Sylvia Fowles
  • 2016 All-Defensive First Team: Sylvia Fowles

References

  1. ↑ "Minnesota Lynx Reproduction Guideline Sheet". NBA Media Central. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Lynx: Katie Smith's Milestone". Wnba.com. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  3. ↑ "Seimone Augustus Playerfile". WNBA.com. 1984-04-30. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  4. ↑ "Whalen propels Lynx past short-handed Sky –". Usatoday.com. 2012-06-23. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  5. ↑ "Maya Moore Playerfile". WNBA.com. 1989-06-11. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  6. ↑ http://www.sportspagemagazine.com/content/header/features/lynx-look-to-keep-special-season-going-as-second-h.shtml?48048
  7. ↑ Lynx vs. Mercury WNBA Game Report
  8. ↑ "Lynx at Mercury Game Info - June 15, 2012". WNBA.com. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  9. ↑ "2012 WNBA Finals Game 4". WNBA.com. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  10. ↑ http://www.wnba.com/games/20131010/MINATL/gameinfo.html#nbaGIlive
  11. ↑ "Lynx sweep Dream, win second WNBA title in three seasons". ESPN. 10 October 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  12. ↑ "2014 WNBA Standings". WNBA.com. WNBA. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "2014 WNBA Playoffs". WNBA.com. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  14. ↑ "After Trade, Sylvia Fowles Helps Lynx Flourish". New York Times. New York Times. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "Lynx race past Fever in Game 5 to capture 3rd title in 5 years". ESPN.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  16. ↑ Lynx to play 2017 home games at Xcel Energy Center
  17. ↑ "Lynx Advance To Finals and Complete the Semi-Finals Sweep". WNBA.com. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Lynx: Community". Wnba.com. 2012-05-09. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  19. ↑ Peden, Mike. "4th annual Minnesota Lynx Catwalk for a Cure". Examiner.com. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  20. ↑ "Lynx: Community". Wnba.com. 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  21. ↑ "Lynx Wear Pink For Breast Health Awareness". Wnba.com. 2013-08-25. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  22. ↑ Los Lynx Worldwide
  23. ↑ #LosLynx
  24. ↑ "WNBA Extends TV Rights Deal with ESPN and ABC". Sports Business. June 18, 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Seattle Storm		 WNBA Champions
2011 (First title) 		Succeeded by
Indiana Fever
Preceded by
Indiana Fever		 WNBA Champions
2013 (Second title) 		Succeeded by
Phoenix Mercury
Preceded by
Seattle Storm		 WNBA Western Conference Champions
2011 (First title)
2012 (Second title)
2013 (Third title) 		Succeeded by
Phoenix Mercury
Preceded by
Phoenix Mercury		 WNBA Champions
2015 (Third title) 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
WNBA Western Conference Champions
2015 (Fourth title)
Preceded by
Seattle Storm		 Last WNBA team to finish the year undefeated in the WNBA playoffs
October 10th, 2013 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.