MINNEAPOLIS — Lindsay Whalen started thinking about the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later in her career. After she and the Minnesota Lynx had won two or three of their four titles. After she had won an Olympic Gold Medal.
"You start to think it's pretty cool watching the players go in, watching the speeches, everything,'' she said Wednesday.
Whalen, the six-time all-WNBA All Star, three-time all-WNBA first-teamer, owner of four WNBA title rings and two Olympic Golds, is now the head coach for the University of Minnesota women's basketball team.
In that role she was focused on prepping for Thursday's game against Drake in Des Moines. With the season in full swing, Whalen found it hard to look back. But it's not every day that you're a first-time nominee to the Hall of Fame.
"Later on in my career it became more of a goal,'' she said. "More of a, I think, realistic goal. … Yeah. I'd better get in.''
(She was joking.)
Whalen said a lot of people have reached out, including members of her team. She thanked her parents, her coaches, both at Minnesota and in the WNBA, where she played for Mike Thibault and Cheryl Reeve. She thanked Olympic coach Geno Auriemma. Her husband, Ben Greve.
The finalists for the 2022 class will be announced during the NBA All-Star Game in February. The induction class will be announced in April.
The effect Whalen has had on basketball in the state of Minnesota is immense. But, as a person who is usually focused ahead, not looking back, she said she wants to continue having an impact as a coach.
"I hope I continue it as a coach now,'' she said. "That's my goal, my hope, that I continue to make our state proud, make the university proud. Now that is my focus. My playing career was a lot of fun. But it's these players' time now. It's our team's time.''
