Lindsay Whalen

The 2026 WNBA season will mark Lindsay Whalen’s second year as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx, following a return to the organization where she built a Hall of Fame playing career and helped define one of the most successful eras in league history. Whalen rejoined the Lynx coaching staff after winning four WNBA championships as a player with Minnesota (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017), bringing extensive championship experience to the franchise.

Whalen enjoyed an exceptional 15-year WNBA career with the Connecticut Sun (2004–2009) and Minnesota Lynx (2010–2018), earning five WNBA All-Star selections and five All-WNBA honors. Over 480 regular season games, she averaged 11.5 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting from the floor, along with 4.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds per contest. In the postseason, she appeared in 82 playoff games and averaged 11.6 points on 43.0 percent shooting from the field, while also contributing 4.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game.

Across her career, Whalen recorded 323 regular season victories, ranking second all-time in WNBA history, trailing only Sue Bird (333). She also totaled 54 postseason wins, which ranks second all-time, behind fellow Lynx assistant coach Rebekkah Brunson (57). These milestones underscore her sustained impact and leadership across both regular season and playoff competition.

A Minnesota native, Whalen previously served as head coach of the University of Minnesota women’s basketball program for five seasons. In recognition of her contributions to basketball, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022 and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023. The Lynx retired her No. 13 jersey in 2019 following her retirement from professional basketball in 2018.

Acquired by Minnesota in a trade with Connecticut in January 2010, Whalen went on to play nine seasons with the Lynx and left a lasting imprint on the franchise record book. She holds the team’s all-time record for assists (1,394), ranks second in games played (283), and is tied with Noelle Quinn for the franchise single-game assists record (14, vs. Los Angeles on Sept. 4, 2013). On the international stage, Whalen helped lead USA Basketball to Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016, the latter alongside current Lynx assistant coach Cheryl Reeve. She was also named to the WNBA’s Top 20@20 team in 2016 and the W25 in 2021, honors recognizing the greatest players in league history.