Lindsay Whalen
Career: Has established herself as one of the WNBA’s elite point guards in just two seasons as a professional …Among the best in the league at breaking down defenses by driving to the basket… Routinely creates opportunities for her teammates by passing off penetration…Excellent finisher capable of making layups from seemingly impossible positions, often while drawing fouls... Has attempted and made more free throws (214 of 278) in the past two seasons than any other Sun player during that same span…Durable and tough…Willing to absorb contact to get inside…A career 35-percent three-point shooter who can burn defenses from outside… Already stands fifth all-time among Sun players for career assists (320)…Ranks seventh in the league in career assist average (4.9)…Has averaged 109 rebounds per season during her career.
2005: Followed up a productive rookie season with improvement in almost every statistical category… Raised her scoring average by over three points per game from her rookie season…Led the team with career highs in assists (172), made free throws (125), and free throw attempts (156)…Was third in scoring average (12.1 ppg) and fourth in total rebounds (128) …Assist total was the second best single-season total in franchise history… Established new single-game career highs for points (28) in a game, points in a half (17) and made field goals (9) during a win over Charlotte (8/18)…Surpassed her 2004 points total in the 25th game of the year, and her 2004 assist total in the 29th game…Became the first Sun player since Nykesha Sales (July of 2004) to have consecutive 20-point games…Led the team in assists 25 times…Earned the first WNBA Player of the Week Award of her career on June 27th…Scored in double figures 21 times…Had a career-high nine rebounds against Detroit (6/18)…Had five or more assists in 22 games.
In The Playoffs: Scored 27 points in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Detroit, tying her own franchise playoff record with 15 made free throws while setting a new mark for free throw attempts (17)…The 27 points was the second-most in Sun playoff history…Averaged 16.5 points, 3.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds during sweeps of Detroit and Indiana…Suffered fracture in tibial plateau of her left leg during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana… Sprained ankle in Game 1 of WNBA Finals… Averaged just four points and three assists per game in the WNBA Finals, sitting out Game 2 because of her injuries.
2004 WNBA Season: Voted by fans onto the 2004 WNBA All-Star roster…Started 30 of 31 games she played in, missing three due to a strep throat… Ranked fifth in WNBA, first among rookies, in assist average (4.8)…Ranked sixth in WNBA in assist total (148)…Ranked sixth in WNBA in assists per 40 minutes (6.3)…Ranked 12th in the league in field goal percentage (.454), 16th in three-point field goal percentage (.351) and 19th in free throw attempts per 40 minutes (5.16)…Set a single-game franchise record with 13 assists at Detroit (6/27), and also had 10 points for first WNBA double-double…Recorded her second double-double with 16 points and 10 assists vs. Indiana (7/6)…Set franchise records for most assists in two consecutive games (23), three consecutive games (30) and four consecutive games (40)…Became just the second player in franchise history to reach 100 assists in a season …Assist total was fourth highest in Sun history… Led team in rebounding with 36 in six-game stretch immediately before Olympic Break… Scored career-high 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting at New York (9/10)…Had career-high seven rebounds twice, vs. San Antonio (7/24) and Washington (7/30)…Had a career-high five steals vs. Indiana (9/19)…Had three games with double-digit assist totals…Tied or led the team in assists 17 times, including every game of the team’s six game win streak…Led the team in scoring four times.
In The Playoffs: Established a WNBA playoff record against Washington Mystics (9/27) with 11 made free throws in a half during the Eastern Conference Semifinals…Made most free throws in a single game in franchise history (regular season or postseason) with 15 vs. the Mystics (9/27)… Established Sun postseason record with nine assists in Game 1 of WNBA Finals vs. Seattle (10/8)…Led Sun with 41 assists in the postseason …Set a WNBA record for most made free throws in a three-game playoff series with 28 vs. the Mystics.
College: Galvanized state of Minnesota behind the women’s program, which rose to national prominence during her storied career…Average attendance at women’s basketball games grew from 1,087 during her freshman season to 9,866 her senior year…First Golden Gopher to earn All-American honors in three different seasons…Only four-time team MVP in school history…Two-time Kodak All-American led Minnesota to its first-ever Final Four appearance in 2004… Golden Gophers became the first No. 7 seed to advance to the Final Four in NCAA Women’s Tournament history… Minnesota was 72-23 during Whalen’s final three seasons...Led Minnesota to the NCAA tournament three straight years. Program had been to the tournament just once before her arrival... Named NCAA Mideast Region MVP for the 2004 NCAA tournament...Became Minnesota’s all-time leading scorer on January 25, 2004 against Michigan State, surpassing 1994 Wade Trophy Winner Carol Ann Shudlick. Finished career with 2,285 points, fifth best in Big Ten history…Also set career records for scoring average (20.2 ppg), games in double figures (108), made free throws (557) and free throw percentage (.798)…Finished second in career assists (578), field goal percentage (.528) and free throw attempts (698), third in steals (235), field goals (804) and three-point field goals (120)… Ranked fifth or better in 14 career categories at graduation…Finalist for all three National Player of the Year awards (Wooden, Naismith, Wade)... Named to the Kodak All-American, AP All-American and USBWA All-American teams as a junior and senior...Named to the AP All-American third team and was a Kodak All-American honorable mention following her sophomore season...Just the third player in Big Ten history to earn Player of the Year honors as a sophomore... All-Big Ten first team during last three years.
Personal: The daughter of Neil and Kathy Whalen ...Oldest of five children, with three sisters (Katie, Casey and Annie) and one brother (Thomas)… First woman to be named Minneapolis Star Tribune Sportsperson of the Year, beating out Twins’ Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana and NBA MVP Kevin Garnett for the honor in December of 2004…Also recognized as Sportsperson of the Year by the St. Paul Pioneer Press…Her number 13 was retired by the University of Minnesota during a ceremony in January 2005 at Williams Arena…Listed Charles Barkley, Jennifer Capriati, Kirby Puckett and Anthony Carter as her childhood sports heroes…Was the first athlete in University of Minnesota history to have her own bobblehead doll…Voted Favorite Female Athlete in City Pages Best of The Twin Cities reader’s poll… Majored in sports management...Was a four-time honorable mention all-state selection at Hutchinson High… Member of the 2003 USA World Championship for Young Women team that won the gold in Croatia in 2003 ...Won gold medal as member of the 2002 USA World Championship for Young Women Qualifying team…Led Hutchinson to Minnesota Conference title three straight years (1997-99)… Averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists as a junior…Won a state title and placed 13th nationally with her club team, the Minnesota Jaguars…Was an All-Conference selection in tennis and track.
