Lynx Retire Lindsay Whalen’s Jersey In Touching Tribute To Her Championship Legacy
Julian Andrews
June 8, 2019
The Lynx retired Lindsay Whalen’s No. 13 jersey in a pregame ceremony before Minnesota took on the Sparks on Saturday afternoon.
With the stands packed with fans, Whalen gathered with her former teammates, Lynx coaches and her family on the court to watch a touching video tribute before her jersey was officially retired.
Narrated by Maya Moore, the video stitched together interviews with Whalen’s family, coaches, opponents and teammates, telling Lindsay’s story from a young girl growing up in Hutchison, MN, to the legend she is today.
After the video, Whalen’s No. 13 jersey was revealed in the rafters and Whalen herself said a few words thanking the organization for the honor and expressing how much this state and team mean to her.
Whalen’s legendary status in the state of Minnesota needs no explanation, but just in case anyone hasn’t been paying attention for the last decade, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve spoke on Whalen’s legacy before the game.
“Her jersey is in the rafters because she’s a winner,” said Reeve. “The all-time winningest player in the WNBA. A class act on and off the court, the trust, the elite nature, the way she conducted her business, that’s what led to the winning.”
Whalen’s legacy is still felt on this Lynx team even though there are very few players on the roster that played with her. She played a massive role in turning the Lynx into a championship-caliber organization and that will never be forgotten.
“They didn’t play with her, but they knew of her, and they knew the way that she conducted her business, and that’s what stays with this team,” said Reeve. “We talk about culture that Lindsay helped us to establish. She’s firmly entrenched in this team and that the way that we do things is exactly the way Lindsay [did] things.”
Whalen’s impact extends far beyond just the Lynx locker room. Entire generations of young people have become basketball fans because of Whalen—she’s one of the best to ever play the game and she came from Minnesota.