Minnesota Lynx
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Minnesota Lynx | |
 |
|
| Conference | Western Conference |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Arena | Target Center |
| City | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Team Colors | Blue, Green, White, Silver |
| Owner | Glen Taylor |
| General Manager | Roger Griffith |
| Head Coach | Don Zierden |
| WNBA Championships | None |
| Conference Titles | None |
| Mascot | Prowl [1] |
The Minnesota Lynx are a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and play their home games at the Target Center. They are currently coached by Don Zierden, who took the helm in December 2006.
The team is named after the lynx, a wild variety of cat. The Lynx are the sister team to the Minnesota Timberwolves and are owned by Glen Taylor.
Uniforms:
- Their home uniforms are white with blue green and silver trim. "Lynx" is written on the jerseys in green. The road uniforms are green with blue, white and silver trim and "Lynx" written in silver.
Contents |
[edit] Franchise History
In April 1998, the WNBA announced they would add two expansion teams (Minnesota and the Orlando Miracle), for the 1999 season. The Lynx started their inaugural season in 1999 with 12,000 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.
The Lynx' first head coach Brian Agler was released during the 2002 season after compiling a 47-67 in 3+ seasons. Heidi VanDerveer became the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
In 2003, the Lynx hired Suzie McConnell Serio as head coach. She led the team to finished 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.
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 the LSU Tigers with the #1 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, routing the Los Angeles Sparks 114-71. That victory however, was a rare bright spot in a frustrating season. On July 23, with her team floundering to an 8-15 record, head coach Suzie McConnell Serio resigned. 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, Seimone 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 (Betty Lennox, 2000).
On December 13, 2006 the Lynx named veteran NBA assistant Don Zierden their fifth head coach. His staff will include former Lynx player Teresa Edwards and Jenkins.
[edit] Season-by-Season Records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Win-Loss %
| Season | W | L | % | Playoffs | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Lynx | |||||
| 1999 | 15 | 17 | .469 | ||
| 2000 | 15 | 17 | .469 | ||
| 2001 | 12 | 20 | .375 | ||
| 2002 | 10 | 22 | .313 | ||
| 2003 | 18 | 16 | .529 | Lost First Round | Los Angeles 2, Minnesota 1 |
| 2004 | 18 | 16 | .529 | Lost First Round | Seattle 2, Minnesota 0 |
| 2005 | 14 | 20 | .412 | ||
| 2006 | 10 | 24 | .294 | ||
| Totals | 112 | 152 | .424 | ||
| Playoffs | 1 | 4 | .200 | ||
Stats updated August 15, 2006
[edit] Players of note
[edit] Hall of Famers
none
[edit] Retired numbers
none
[edit] Not to be forgotten
- Adia Barnes
- Jacqueline Batteast
- Erin Buescher
- Janell Burse
- Grace Daley
- Helen Darling
- Keitha Dickerson, now the Head Coach at Mountain View College
- Teresa Edwards
- Tonya Edwards
- Trisha Fallon
- Kristin Folkl
- Kristi Harrower
- Susan King Borchardt
- Amanda Lassiter
- Betty Lennox
- Tynesha Lewis
- Andrea Lloyd-Curry, now a TV analyst for the Lynx
- Stacey Lovelace-Tolbert
- Maylana Martin, now an Assistant Coach at her alma mater, UCLA
- Tamara Moore
- Kate Paye, now an Assistant Coach at San Diego State University
- Angie Potthoff, now an Assistant Coach at University of Notre Dame
- Lynn Pride
- Brandy Reed
- Sheri Sam
- Georgia Schweitzer, now attending Duke University School of Medicine
- Katie Smith
- Shanele Stires, now an Assistant Coach at University of San Francisco
- Sonja Tate
- Stacey Thomas
- Michele Van Gorp
- Adrian Williams
[edit] Current players
| Minnesota Lynx Current Roster |
||||
| Head Coach: Don Zierden | Edit | |||
| Pos. | No. | Name | College | |
| F | 25 | Svetlana Abrosimova | Connecticut | |
| G | 33 | Seimone Augustus | LSU | |
| G | 5 | Megan Duffy | Notre Dame | |
| C | 55 | Vanessa Hayden | Florida | |
| G | 23 | Amber Jacobs | Boston College | |
| G | 13 | Chandi Jones | Houston | |
| F | 44 | Kristen Mann | UC Santa Barbara | |
| F-C | 3 | Nicole Ohlde | Kansas State | |
| F-C | 50 | Tangela Smith | Iowa | |
| G | 10 | Shona Thorburn | Utah | |
| F | 20 | Tamika Williams | Connecticut | |
| (IL) - Inactive List | ||||
[edit] Coaches and others
Head Coaches:
- Brian Agler (1999-2002)
- Heidi VanDerveer (2002)
- Suzie McConnell Serio (2003-2006)
- Carolyn Jenkins (2006)
- Don Zierden (2007-present)
[edit] External links
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference |
|---|---|
| Chicago Sky | Connecticut Sun | Detroit Shock | Indiana Fever | New York Liberty | Washington Mystics | Houston Comets | Los Angeles Sparks | Minnesota Lynx | Phoenix Mercury | Sacramento Monarchs | San Antonio Silver Stars | Seattle Storm |
| Defunct teams: Charlotte Sting | Cleveland Rockers | Miami Sol | Portland Fire | |
| Media: WNBA on ESPN | List of WNBA Finals broadcasters | |
| Other Women's Leagues: National Women's Basketball League | Women's National Basketball League (Australia) | |
