Lynx Players Reflect on March Memories

With the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament set for Friday, it seems like a good time to reflect on the collegiate success of a few Lynx players.

We were able to catch up with Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen and Danielle Robinson.

Maya Moore

Moore played her college ball at UConn from 2007-11. In her four seasons with the Huskies, Moore advanced to the Final Four in each season while winning the championship in 2009 and 2010, going undefeated in each season.

“I’ve been able to have so many great memories from NCAA Tournament time,” Moore said. “Winning the national championship. Going undefeated. No team came within 10 points of us all year. We were just so excited to have finishing off the season the way we wanted to.”

Moore, only 28, has already become one of the most-winningest players in the history of basketball.

Lindsay Whalen

Whalen, of course, played her college ball at the University of Minnesota from 2000-04 and averaged 20.2 points and 5.1 assists per game over that stretch.

The Hutchinson-born guard led the Gophers to the Sweet 16 in 2004 and all the way to the Final Four in 2004 despite their No. 7 seed.

“After beating Duke to go to the Final Four, none of us on the team truly knew the impact we would have on basketball and our state,” Whalen said. “As I’ve gotten older I’ve been able to grasp that a little more. The memories we made that weekend will last a lifetime. I’m so thankful for that group and what we were able to accomplish.”

When people think of Gophers basketball, they think of Whalen along with her teammate Janel McCarville.

Whalen became a household name among those in the basketball world and was the No. 4 pick in the 2004 draft.

Danielle Robinson

Robinson, who was traded to the Lynx this offseason, played her college ball at Oklahoma from 2007-11 and averaged 18.3 points in her senior season.

She helped get the Sooners to their third and fourth Final Four appearances, respectively, in 2009 and 2010. Oklahoma hasn’t been back since.

“The Final Four is the pinnacle of success every onlooking hooper kid has in their heart to reach, so there aren’t words worthy enough really to explain the feeling of immense pride and joy I’ve felt being able to reach two back to back,” Robinson said. “Even watching the tournament now as a spectator, the adrenaline rush, the elation of the gym and the fans, the looks of happiness in its purest form on each of my teammates faces after the final buzzer of the Elite 8 round, are just details that are forever etched in my memories and on my heart. Along with being proud of all of the work we put in throughout the year to get there.”

Be sure to tune into the NCAA semifinals. Mississippi State and Louisville face off on Friday at 6 p.m., while UConn and Notre Dame face off at 8:30 p.m. Both games will air on ESPN2.