The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
team based in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...
, playing in the
Western Conference in the
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...
(WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in
2011,
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...
,
2015, and
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
.
Founded prior to the
1999 season, the team is owned by
Glen Taylor, who is also the majority owner of the Lynx'
NBA counterpart, the
Minnesota Timberwolves. The franchise has been home to players such as
Katie Smith,
Seimone Augustus, native Minnesotan
Lindsay Whalen
Lindsay Marie Whalen (born May 9, 1982) is the head coach of the University of Minnesota's women's basketball team.
She began her professional career as a point guard for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) ...
,
Maya Moore,
Rebekkah Brunson, and
Sylvia Fowles.
The Lynx have qualified for the
WNBA playoffs in twelve of their twenty-one years. They currently hold a WNBA record ten consecutive playoff appearances.
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)
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
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
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. Despite this victory and with her team floundering to an 8–15 record, head coach 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. Her 21.9 points per game is still a WNBA rookie record. 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.
In the
2007 WNBA Draft, the Lynx traded center
Tangela Smith, whom they acquired in the dispersal draft from the
Charlotte Sting, to the
Phoenix Mercury for point guard
Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Marcie Harding (born June 12, 1984) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. She serves as player development coach of the Sacramento Kings. Throughout her playing career, Harding played for the Minnesota Lynx, Wash ...
, 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 and 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. The Lynx finished with a 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, 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
Charde Lakishia Houston (born April 10, 1986) is a professional basketball player in the WNBA, last played for the New York Liberty.
Born in Oceanside, California, Houston played high school basketball at San Diego High from 2000 to 2004, where ...
and
Nicky Anosike. The Lynx saw similar results in 2008. They started with a good run (7–3), but lost many key games, including a 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)
After five disappointing seasons, the off-season 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
Lindsay Marie Whalen (born May 9, 1982) is the head coach of the University of Minnesota's women's basketball team.
She began her professional career as a point guard for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) ...
and the second overall pick. They added free agent
Hamchétou Maïga to the lineup, and selected
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with College admission ...
guard
Monica Wright
Monica Ashante Wright (born July 15, 1988) is an American basketball coach and former player. She played college basketball for Virginia and was selected second overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2010 WNBA draft. Outside of the WNBA, she played ...
with the second pick in the 2010 Draft. With these off-season 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, Moore, and 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. 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
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...
in the
2011 WNBA Playoffs
The 2011 WNBA Playoffs was the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 2011 season. Four teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs seeded 1 to 4 in a tournament bracket, with the two openin ...
. 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. In the
Finals
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
, 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.
Road to more championships (2012–2017)
In 2012, the team began the season 10–0, a franchise and league record. They clinched a playoff berth on August 19, 2012, just 21 games into the season. The team fell to the
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the 2000 season began. The team is owned ...
in the
2012 WNBA Finals.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
After winning the WNBA title in 2015, the Lynx qualified to the
2016 WNBA Playoffs
The 2016 WNBA Playoffs is the postseason tournament of the WNBA's 2016 season.
Format
The WNBA changed its playoff format in 2016. Following the WNBA regular season, eight teams in the entire league qualified for the playoffs and were seeded ...
as the top seed with a franchise record 28–6 finish, 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
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
, where the Lynx played the 2017 regular season. A sweep of 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 five-game series, eventually winning game 5 by 1 point.
On August 12, 2017, the Lynx set two WNBA records in their 111–52 defeat of the Indiana Fever: largest margin of victory (59 points) and longest unanswered scoring run (37 consecutive points). The Lynx finished as the top seed in the league, finishing 27–7. In the semi-finals, the Lynx defeated the
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference ...
in a three-game sweep to advance to the WNBA Finals for the sixth time in seven years. The Lynx avenged 2016's Finals loss to the Sparks by defeating them in five games to win their fourth championship in seven seasons and tying the now-defunct
Houston Comets for most WNBA championship titles.
End of a dynasty (2018-present)
In 2018, with back-up point guard
Renee Montgomery leaving in free agency to sign with the
Atlanta Dream and a now aging roster intact, the Lynx would start falling way short of championship contention. Although Moore, Fowles, Augustus and Brunson made All-Star appearances, the Lynx finished as the number 7 seed in the league with an 18–16 record. This was the first time in 8 years where the Lynx did not finish as a top 2 seed. Lindsay Whalen also announced her retirement prior to the playoffs. The Lynx started off their playoff run against the rival Los Angeles Sparks in the first round elimination game. They lost 75–68, ending their run of three consecutive Finals appearances, and it was Whalen's final career game.
In 2019 and 2020, however, the Lynx would produce players that won
WNBA Rookie of the Year.
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 previously used an
Adidas uniform that was standard throughout the league, but the WNBA partnered with
Nike, Inc. for eight years beginning in 2018. The Lynx are also one of 11 WNBA teams sponsored by
Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in ...
, 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
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...
related charities. The 2011 event was held Aug. 5 and raised $5,000 for
Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
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.
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
Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...
and on August 29, the 5th annual "Catwalk for a Cure" event was held at the
Mall of America. The Lynx donated a $10,000 grant to the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation.
Season-by-season records
Players
Roster
Other rights owned
FIBA Hall of Fame
Retired numbers
Team officials
Owners
*
Glen Taylor, owner of the
Minnesota Timberwolves (1999–present)
Head coaches
President of Basketball Operations
*
Cheryl Reeve (2022-Present)
General managers
*
Brian Agler (1999–2002)
*
Roger Griffith (2003–2017)
*
Cheryl Reeve (2018–2022)
*
Clare Duwelius (2022-Present)
Assistant coaches
*
Heidi VanDerveer (1999–2001)
*Kelly Kramer (1999–2002)
*
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch (December 29, 1951 – November 2, 2020) was an American women's basketball coach who worked at both the professional and NCAA Division I college levels. A native of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Darsch was a 1973 graduate of Springfield ...
(2003–2005)
*
Carolyn Jenkins (2003–2005, 2007)
*
Jim Lewis (2006)
*Susan Yow (2006)
*
Teresa Edwards (2007)
*Ed Prohofsky (2007–2008)
*
Jennifer Gillom (2008)
*
Julie Plank (2008)
*
Jim Davis (2009)
*
Jim Petersen (2009–2016)
*
Shelley Patterson
Shelley Patterson is an American basketball coach, currently an assistant coach with the Washington Mystics of the WNBA.
College career
Patterson played point guard for the Cougars and graduated from Washington State University in 1984.
Patters ...
(2010–2019)
*
James Wade (2017–2018)
*
Walt Hopkins (2017–2019)
*
Plenette Pierson
Plenette Michelle Pierson (born August 31, 1981) is a retired American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In the 2007 season, Pierson won the first ever ...
(2019–2022)
*
Katie Smith (2020–present)
*
Rebekkah Brunson (2020–present)
Statistics
, -
! style="width:8%;",
PPG
! style="width:8%;",
RPG RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
! style="width:8%;",
APG
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Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
! style="width:8%;",
FG%
, -
,
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school s ...
,
B. Reed (16.4)
,
B. Reed (6.0)
, Sonja Tate, S. Tate (3.1)
, 63.6 vs 66.0
, 28.3 vs 32.1
, .389 vs .425
, -
, -
! style="width:8%;",
PPG
! style="width:8%;",
RPG RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
! style="width:8%;",
APG
! style="width:8%;",
PPG
! style="width:8%;",
RPG RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
! style="width:8%;",
FG%
, -
,
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
,
K. Smith (20.2)
,
B. Lennox (5.6)
,
K. Smith (2.8)
, 68.5 vs 68.4
, 27.2 vs 30.5
, .421 vs .429
, -
,
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanistan ...
,
K. Smith (23.1)
,
S. Abrosimova (6.7)
,
K. Paye (3.0)
, 64.9 vs 67.4
, 31.3 vs 31.8
, .371 vs .390
, -
,
2002
,
K. Smith (16.5)
,
T. Williams
T. Williams was a rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and London Welsh and played international rugby for Wales. Very little is known of Williams and he is often confused with his contemporary Tom Williams who also played for W ...
(7.4)
,
T. Moore (3.0)
, 62.6 vs 65.8
, 30.0 vs 28.6
, .410 vs .413
, -
,
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, disintegrated during reentry into Atmosphere of Earth, Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an 2002– ...
,
K. Smith (18.2)
,
T. Williams
T. Williams was a rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and London Welsh and played international rugby for Wales. Very little is known of Williams and he is often confused with his contemporary Tom Williams who also played for W ...
(6.1)
,
T. Edwards (4.4)
, 70.0 vs 69.7
, 31.7 vs 29.1
, .442 vs .425
, -
,
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
,
K. Smith (18.8)
,
T. Williams
T. Williams was a rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and London Welsh and played international rugby for Wales. Very little is known of Williams and he is often confused with his contemporary Tom Williams who also played for W ...
(6.0)
,
H. Darling (3.5)
, 63.7 vs 64.4
, 31.1 vs 30.5
, .404 vs .408
, -
,
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris (dwarf planet), Er ...
,
N. Ohlde (11.2)
,
N. Ohlde (5.7)
,
K. Harrower (2.8)
, 65.0 vs 67.3
, 30.1 vs 31.0
, .412 vs .427
, -
,
2006
,
S. Augustus (21.9)
,
T. Williams
T. Williams was a rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea and London Welsh and played international rugby for Wales. Very little is known of Williams and he is often confused with his contemporary Tom Williams who also played for W ...
(5.6)
,
A. Jacobs (3.4)
, 74.2 vs 80.4
, 33.6 vs 35.4
, .427 vs .434
, -
,
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto ...
,
S. Augustus (22.6)
,
N. Ohlde (6.1)
,
N. Quinn (4.4)
, 77.5 vs 80.9
, 34.8 vs 32.9
, .412 vs .450
, -
,
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...
,
S. Augustus (19.1)
,
N. Anosike (6.8)
,
L. Harding (3.2)
, 81.4 vs 80.0
, 33.7 vs 35.6
, .430 vs .439
, -
,
2009
,
N. Anosike (13.2)
,
N. Anosike (7.4)
,
N. Anosike (2.7)
, 80.3 vs 83.1
, 32.0 vs 34.3
, .420 vs .461
, -
, -
! style="width:8%;",
PPG
! style="width:8%;",
RPG RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
! style="width:8%;",
APG
! style="width:8%;",
PPG
! style="width:8%;",
RPG RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
! style="width:8%;",
FG%
, -
,
2010
,
S. Augustus (16.9)
,
R. Brunson (10.3)
,
L. Whalen (5.6)
, 78.7 vs 82.1
, 35.2 vs 34.9
, .397 vs .446
, -
,
2011
,
S. Augustus (16.2)
,
R. Brunson (8.9)
,
L. Whalen (5.9)
, 81.5 vs 73.6
, 36.5 vs 30.1
, .461 vs .413
, -
,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
,
S. Augustus (16.6)
,
R. Brunson (8.9)
,
L. Whalen (5.4)
, 86.0 vs 76.2
, 37.8 vs 30.9
, .473 vs .407
, -
,
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...
,
M. Moore (18.5)
,
R. Brunson (8.9)
,
L. Whalen (5.8)
, 82.9 vs 73.5
, 36.9 vs 32.2
, .474 vs .405
, -
,
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
,
M. Moore (23.9)
,
R. Brunson (8.2)
,
L. Whalen (5.5)
, 81.6 vs 77.2
, 35.2 vs 32.6
, .467 vs .423
, -
,
2015
,
M. Moore (20.6)
,
S. Fowles (8.3)
,
L. Whalen (4.2)
, 75.5 vs 71.7
, 35.3 vs 33.1
, .441 vs .414
, -
,
2016
,
M. Moore (19.3)
,
S. Fowles (8.5)
,
M. Moore (4.2)
, 85.8 vs 77.0
, 35.8 vs 30.7
, .471 vs .417
, -
,
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
,
S. Fowles (18.9)
,
S. Fowles (10.4)
,
L. Whalen (4.1)
, 85.4 vs 74.2
, 35.2 vs 30.2
, .478 vs .424
, -
,
2018
,
M. Moore (18.0)
,
S. Fowles (11.9)
,
D. Robinson (3.3)
, 78.9 vs 78.3
, 35.3 vs 31.1
, .451 vs .445
, -
,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
,
O. Sims (14.5)
,
S. Fowles (8.9)
,
O. Sims (5.4)
, 78.4 vs 75.9
, 34.0 vs 31.1
, .451 vs .434
, -
, -
! style="width:8%;",
PPG
! style="width:8%;",
RPG RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
! style="width:8%;",
APG
! style="width:8%;",
PPG
! style="width:8%;",
RPG RPG may refer to:
Military
* Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon
**''Ruchnoi Protivotankoviy Granatomyot'' (Russian: ''Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт''), hand-held anti-tank grenade laun ...
! style="width:8%;",
FG%
, -
,
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...
,
C. Dangerfield (16.2)
,
S. Fowles (9.7)
,
C. Dangerfield (3.6)
, 84.4 vs 80.6
, 34.4 vs 30.9
, .456 vs .447
, -
,
2021
,
N. Collier (16.2)
,
S. Fowles (10.1)
,
L. Clarendon (5.7)
, 82.7 vs 78.7
, 34.9 vs 32.5
, .458 vs .424
, -
,
2022
,
S. Fowles &
A. Powers (14.4)
,
S. Fowles (9.8)
,
M. Jefferson (4.9)
, 82.4 vs 83.9
, 36.9 vs 32.4
, .450 vs .439
Media coverage
Lynx games are broadcast on either
Bally Sports North
Bally Sports North is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as a Bally Sports affiliate. The channel broadcasts coverage of sporting events involving teams located in the Upper Midwest region, with a focu ...
or
Bally Sports North Plus
Bally Sports North is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as a Bally Sports affiliate. The channel broadcasts coverage of sporting events involving teams located in the Upper Midwest region, with a ...
. 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
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
,
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%).
ESPN2 was initially ...
and
ABC. The
WNBA has reached an eight-year agreement with
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, which will pay right fees to the Lynx, as well as other teams in the league.
All-time notes
Regular season attendance
*A sellout for a basketball game at
Target Center
Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...
is 18,798.
*A sellout for a basketball game at
Xcel Energy Center is 17,954.
Arenas
*
Target Center
Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...
1999–2016, 2018–present
*
Williams Arena 2007 one regular season game, 2017 playoffs
*
Xcel Energy Center 2016 Semi Final playoffs, 2017 regular season
Draft picks
*1999 Expansion Draft: Brandy Reed (1), Kim Williams (3), Octavia Blue (5), Adia Barnes (7)
*1999: Tonya Edwards (7), Trisha Fallon (19), Andrea Lloyd (31), Sonja Tate (43), Angie Potthoff (49)
*2000: Grace Daley (5), Betty Lennox (6), Maylana Martin (10), Marla Brumfield (22), Keitha Dickerson (24), Phylesha Whaley (38), Jana Lichnerova (54), Shanele Stires (56)
*2001: Svetlana Abrosimova (7), Erin Buescher (23), Tombi Bell (39), Megan Taylor (55)
*2002: Tamika Williams (6), Lindsey Meder (38), Shárron Francis (54)
*2003
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...
/
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
Dispersal Draft: Sheri Sam (2)
*2003: Teresa Edwards (14), Carla Bennett (29)
*2004
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...
Dispersal Draft: Helen Darling (7)
*2004: Nicole Ohlde (6), Vanessa Hayden (7), Tasha Butts (20), Amber Jacobs (33)
*2005: Kristen Mann (11), Jacqueline Batteast (17), Monique Bivins (37)
*2006: Seimone Augustus (1), Shona Thorburn (7), Megan Duffy (31)
*2007
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
Dispersal Draft: Tangela Smith (2)
*2007: Noelle Quinn (4), Eshaya Murphy (15), Brooke Smith (23), Kathrin Ress (24)
*2008: Candice Wiggins (3), Nicky Anosike (16), Charde Houston (30)
*2009
Houston
Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...
Dispersal Draft: Roneeka Hodges (4)
*2009: Renee Montgomery (4), Quanitra Hollingsworth (9), Rashanda McCants (15),
Emily Fox
Emily Ann Fox (born July 5, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the United States national team. She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels. She h ...
(30)
*2010
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
Dispersal Draft: Rebekkah Brunson (2)
*2010: Monica Wright (2), Kelsey Griffin (3), Gabriela Marginean (26)
*2011: Maya Moore (1), Amber Harris (4), Jessica Breland (13), Kachine Alexander (26)
*2012: Devereaux Peters (3), Damiris Dantas (12), Julie Wojta (18), Kayla Standish (19), Nika Baric (20), Jacki Gemelos (31)
*2013: Lindsey Moore (12), Sugar Rodgers (14), Chucky Jeffery (24), Waltiea Rolle (36)
*2014: Tricia Liston (12), Asya Bussie (15), Christina Foggie (24), Asia Taylor (36)
*2015: Reshanda Gray (16), Shae Kelley (35)
*2016: Jazmon Gwathmey (14), Bashaara Graves (22), Temi Fagbenle (35)
*2017: Alexis Jones (12), Lisa Berkani (24), Tahlia Tupaea (36)
*2018: Ji-Su Park (17), Kahlia Lawrence (24), Carlie Wagner (36)
*2019: Napheesa Collier (6), Jessica Shepard (16), Natisha Hiedeman (18), Cierra Dillard (20), Kenisha Bell (30)
*2020: Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (6), Crystal Dangerfield (16)
*2021: Rennia Davis (9)
*2022: Kayla Jones (22), Hannah Sjerven (28)
All-Stars
*1999: Tonya Edwards
*2000: Betty Lennox, Katie Smith
*2001: Katie Smith
*2002: Katie Smith
*2003: Katie Smith
*2004: Katie Smith
*2005: Katie Smith
*2006: Seimone Augustus
*2007: Seimone Augustus
*2008: No All-Star Game
*2009: Nicky Anosike, Charde Houston
*2010: Rebekkah Brunson, Lindsay Whalen
*2011: Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen
*2012: No All-Star Game
*2013: Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen
*2014: Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen
*2015: Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen
*2016: No All-Star Game
*2017: Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore
*2018: Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore
*2019: Napheesa Collier, Sylvia Fowles, Odyssey Sims
*2020: No All-Star Game
*2021: Napheesa Collier, Sylvia Fowles
*2022: Sylvia Fowles
Olympians
*2000: Katie Smith, Kristi Harrower (AUS), Annie La Fleur (AUS)
*2004: Katie Smith, Kristi Harrower (AUS), Nuria Martinez (ESP)
*2008: Seimone Augustus, Nuria Martinez (ESP)
*2012: Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Rachel Jarry (AUS), Damiris Dantas (BRA)
*2016: Anna Cruz (ESP), Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Rachel Jarry (AUS)
*2020: Napheesa Collier, Sylvia Fowles, Bridget Carleton (CAN), Natalie Achonwa (CAN)
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 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 ''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 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 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
*2017 ''Most Valuable Player'': Sylvia Fowles
*2017 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Sylvia Fowles
*2017 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Maya Moore
*2017 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Sylvia Fowles
*2017 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Rebekkah Brunson
*2017 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Maya Moore
*2017 ''WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player'': Sylvia Fowles
*2018 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Maya Moore
*2018 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Rebekkah Brunson
*2018 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Sylvia Fowles
*2018 ''Peak Performer (Rebounds)'': Sylvia Fowles
*2019 ''Rookie of the Year'': Napheesa Collier
*2019 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Odyssey Sims
*2019 ''All-Rookie Team'': Napheesa Collier
*2019 ''Executive of the Year'': Cheryl Reeve
*2020 ''Rookie of the Year'': Crystal Dangerfield
*2020 ''Coach of the Year'': Cheryl Reeve
*2020 ''All-Rookie Team'': Crystal Dangerfield
*2020 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Napheesa Collier
*2020 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Napheesa Collier
*2021 ''Defensive Player of the Year'': Sylvia Fowles
*2021 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Sylvia Fowles
*2021 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Sylvia Fowles
*2022 ''Peak Performer (Rebounds)'': Sylvia Fowles
*2022 ''Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award'': Sylvia Fowles
*2022 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Sylvia Fowles
*2022 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Sylvia Fowles
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Women's National Basketball Association teams
Basketball teams established in 1998
Basketball teams in Minnesota
Sports in Minneapolis
1998 establishments in Minnesota