Mitchell Hansen
Web Editorial Associate
Twitter
In between playing Game 1 and getting ready for Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, the Minnesota Lynx took a break to give back to local youth.
Lynx players Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson and Sylvia Fowles, along with Lynx Vice President of Business Operations Carley Knox and WNBA President Lisa Borders, were all in attendance during the 2017 WNBA Finals Jr. NBA Clinic on Monday afternoon at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.
“It’s really important for young people to have those in-person experiences with players that are doing it,” Moore said. “To see we’re real people and see how we carry ourselves for that hour and be encouraged by us to go out, make mistakes but keep trying. That’s the biggest thing I try to bring to the kids that it’s okay for them to make mistakes but keep playing through it, having fun and giving high-fives. Just trying to bring the style and culture of what we do to the young people so hopefully they can bring it back to their schools.”
During the clinic, the Lynx and the WNBA hosted 75 youth from Keewaydin and Franklin Middle Schools, with an emphasis on teaching them the fundamentals and values of the game and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle.
After getting to hear from Borders, Knox and the players at the beginning of the event, the middle school students were able to interact with the players, run through some basketball drills with them and hold a Q&A session for about an hour.
At the end of the clinic, the Lynx also surprised the students by giving each of them two free tickets to Tuesday night’s Game 2 of the Finals at Williams Arena.
“Coming to the arena after a tough game last night and you get to see all the bright smiling faces, you’re still thinking about last night a little bit and what you can do to prepare for tomorrow, but this event brings us back to the reason why we play,” Lindsay Whalen said. “We want to be role models to the next generations of kids and players. This afternoon we taught them some drills we worked on as kids, tried to show them a good time, how fun basketball can be and how great it can be to be a part of a team, a family really.
“If we can just make any impression like that on the kids it makes it all worth it, for sure.”