For longtime players that have extensive on-court resumes and plenty of championships to boot, last Friday was a banner evening.
During WNBA Draft week, WNBA fans everywhere learned that both Lindsay Whalen and Tina Thompson will assume head coaching roles for a couple of collegiate programs.
The news and feeling had to be particularly heartening for Whalen who will soon enter another season with the Minnesota Lynx. Whalen was announced as the new head coach for the women’s basketball program at the University of Minnesota – her alma mater.
When that piece of news broke, the attention of everyone turned to if Whalen would still be able to play for the Lynx this season. She let Lynx fans everywhere know she is ready to help the team this season bring a fifth championship to “Whose House? Our House.”
I look forward to this summer competing for my 5th WNBA title with my amazing teammates and coaches as well as building a foundation with the Gopher women’s basketball team for success!
— Lindsay Whalen (@Lindsay_13) April 16, 2018
Welcome Home, Coach Whalen!
Lindsay Whalen returns to the #Gophers as the new @GopherWBB
head coach.Full details: https://t.co/Mzx0KYRaA7 pic.twitter.com/D3B9Xje9NV
— Minnesota Gophers (@GopherSports) April 12, 2018
Go inside Athletes Village and see priceless reactions from the #Gophers when Lindsay Whalen was announced as new head coach. #SkiUMah pic.twitter.com/jBUhhyXsl4
— Minnesota WBB (@GopherWBB) April 13, 2018
The agreement with the Golden Gophers allowed for her to continue playing for the Lynx.
Becoming the head coach here at the U and being a Gopher again is a dream come true.
–Lindsay Whalen per University of Minnesota
The announcement of Whalen’s move to coaching at her alma mater also comes after a season where the Lynx won their fourth championship at Williams Arena (aka “The Barn”) on the campus of the university.
The Lynx had to play its postseason games at Williams Arena due to renovations at Target Center and the WNBA’s playoff schedule running concurrent with the start of the NHL season. This forced the Lynx out of St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center which is the home stadium for Minnesota Wild games.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Speaking of four-time WNBA champions landing coaching gigs – enter one of the architects of the WNBA’s original dynasty in Tina Thompson. After three seasons with Texas as an assistant, she will assume the role of head coach at the University of Virginia’s women’s basketball program.
Thompson, of course, spearheaded the four championships won by the Houston Comets along with Sheryl Swoopes in the W’s first four seasons. She was previously the league’s all-time leading scorer before Diana Taurasi broke her record last season.
The power move in Charlottesville comes only a few months after the university hired Carla Williams as its athletic director as she became the first ever African American to hold such a job among Power Five schools.
Bravo to Tina Thompson! Carla Williams and her staff did an excellent job choosing the next Cavalier WBB Coach. Salute!
— Debbie Ryan (@CoachRyanUVA) April 16, 2018
Quite a year for Tina Thompson: first head coaching job, at Virginia, and will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
— Mechelle Voepel (@MechelleV) April 16, 2018
The year 2018 will be a banner one for Thompson. Along with landing the gig at the University of Virginia, she will be inducted into both the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this year.
I am extremely excited about the opportunity to become the next women’s basketball coach at the University of Virginia.
–Tina Thompson per a statement
I am grateful for the opportunity to lead a program with such a rich history. This program is in an exciting place and with a hard-working group of young ladies. It is my intention to continue the winning ways coach Joanne Boyle has built with this impressive group.
–Tina Thompson per a statement
Last season, the team went 19-14 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament before being eliminated by 2017 national champion South Carolina.
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
