Lindsay Whalen
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Lindsay Marie Whalen (born May 9, 1982 in Hutchinson, Minnesota) is a professional basketball player. She currently plays the point guard position for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.
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[edit] High School career
At Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Minnesota, Lindsay Whalen was a 4-time All-Missota Conference pick, and she led her team to three consecutive conference basketball championships.
[edit] College years
After graduating from Hutchinson High School in 2000, she attended the University of Minnesota Twin Cities as a sports management major, where she became a star player on the women's basketball team. In her sophomore year, she was named 2002 Big Ten Player of the Year. Up until that point, only three sophomores in conference history achieved the distinction. In her four years playing for the University of Minnesota, she helped transform the Golden Gophers women's basketball team from "cellar dwellers" to national semi-finalists. She was the Golden Gophers women's basketball team MVP for 4 straight years.
Whalen became the school's all-time leading scorer, male or female, with 2,285 career points, fifth all-time in the Big Ten Conference. She was the first three time All-American and four time team MVP for the Golden Gophers. She averaged 20.3 points per game in her college career.
Whalen received various awards as a college player:
- 2002 and 2003 U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-American.
- 2003 Kodak/WBCA All-America first team and 2002 All-American honorable mention
- Selected to the 2003 Verizon Academic All-America third team and named 2002 Verizon Academic All-District V second team.
- Selected to the 2002 and 2003 Big Ten Conference All-Academic Team with a 3.42 GPA.
- Named to the 2002 and 2003 All-Big Ten first teams and 2001 All-Big Ten honorable mention.
- Named to the 2001 Big Ten All-Rookie Team.
In 2003 Whalen was a member of the USA gold medal women's FIBA World Championship basketball team. In 2004 Whalen became the first female ever to be named Sportsperson of the Year in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Her college jersey number 13 was retired by the University of Minnesota Twin Cities on January 3, 2005. That day was pronounced "Lindsay Whalen Day." Her impact became a legacy in the university's basketball program.
[edit] WNBA career
Whalen was selected the first round of the 2004 WNBA Draft (4th overall) by the Connecticut Sun. Until 2005 when Minnesota teammate Janel McCarville was selected at number 1, she was the highest drafted WNBA player ever from the Big Ten Conference. Before she even put on a WNBA uniform, she had an effect on the 2004 championship: The Minnesota Lynx made an unsuccessful pre-draft trade, sending Sheri Sam and Janell Burse to the Seattle Storm for Amanda Lassiter and the 6th pick in the draft in an attempt to get the hometown hero Whalen. But Connecticut picked Whalen before Minnesota could, and the Storm had two more pieces to their eventual championship team.
In her rookie season, she was selected to play in the historic WNBA vs. USA Basketball game at Radio City Music Hall. Then she led the Sun to the WNBA Finals in her first and second seasons, playing injured in the 2005 Finals.
[edit] Vital statistics
- Position: Guard
- Height: 5 ft. 8 in. / 1.73 m
- College: University of Minnesota
- Team(s): Connecticut Sun (WNBA)
