In the finals rematch with the Los Angeles Sparks, Lindsay Whalen showed the world she is still a superstar
Lindsay Whalen accepted a coaching appointment at her alma mater in the offseason, that is a sure sign that her career in the WNBA is coming to an end right? If the first game of the season is anything to go by then this is totally wrong.
In a game where the Minnesota Lynx committed 24 turnovers and had to come back time and again in the third and then the fourth quarter, it was Whalen who steered them back.
Her feisty leadership and willingness to put this team on her back dragged others along with her. She drove to the hoop with five seconds to go only to be fouled ny Nneka Ogqumike. Like the true professional she is, Whalen nailed both free throws to give the Lynx the lead.
It was only a tremendous last second play by Chelsea Gray which pulled the Sparks over the line. Usually it is so hard to tell Whalen’s impact on a game by looking at a box score but this game was totally different.
In a team which has Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles and Seimone Augustus it was Whalen who led the team in scoring on the night with 17 points. She shot 5-of-8 from the field, 1-of-1 from deep and 6-of-7 from the line.
Added to this, she gave out a game high nine assists and only committed two turnovers in what can only be described as a total point guard game. At the age of 35 Whalen has lost none of her step and the Lynx are now 20-3 over the past two seasons when Whalen plays.
The Sparks were without Candace Parker and Jantel Lavender in this one but I would not read much into that. The Lynx were terrible with the ball, something I am willing to guess coach Cheryl Reeve will work on with the team before their game against the Dallas Wings. Watch for them to respond in true Lynx fashion.
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