Todd Barin
Web Editorial Associate
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Seimone Augustus and Bashaara Graves were at Mayo Clinic Square on Thursday afternoon for something other than practice.
As part of Jr. WNBA week, the Minnesota Lynx hosted 40 girls from the Richfield Girls Basketball Association for a clinic with Augustus and Graves.
The 4th to 9th graders had the opportunity to learn fundamental basketball skills and participate in drills that were led by Troy Pearson, the Timberwolves and Lynx Basketball Academy Executive, and the two Lynx players.
“I think my favorite part was when they taught us the warm-ups,” Naomi, who was sporting an Augustus jersey, said. “I got to know where she (Augustus) went to high school and where she grew up, and then she signed my jersey. It was really fun.”
The hour-long clinic is designed to teach the fundamental skills and values of the game in order to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for everyone involved.
“I think they enjoyed themselves but we had fun as well, they got to get some shots up, we got to go through some ball-handling routines and they got to see a little bit of what we go through on a day-to-day basis,” Augustus said. “I was (impressed), they had a few small ones that I wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to get the ball up to the basket, but they were into it. They were all about the 3-pointers today and I was proud that they had enough courage to take those shots.”
After a very successful and fun event for everyone involved, the 40 participants had the opportunity to take a group photo, receive autographs and get a clinic T-shirt.
“It means a lot,” Graves said of the girls looking to them as role models. “This is my first time being here and getting to enjoy this. It’s really special just having these kids look up to us and being out here with them having fun.”