The Minnesota Lynx
are a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and play their home games at the Target Center. They are currently coached by Jennifer Gillom, who began coaching on June 3, 2009.
The team is named after the lynx, a wild variety of cat. The Lynx are the sister team to the Minnesota Timberwolves and are owned by Glen Taylor.
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MINNESOTA LYNX TICKETS
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Franchise History
Joining the League (1998-2000)
In April 1998, the WNBA announced they would add two expansion teams (Minnesota and the
Orlando Miracle), for the 1999 season. The Lynx started their inaugural season in 1999 with 12,000 fans in attendance to watch the first regular-season game, against the
Detroit Shock at Target Center. The Lynx defeated Detroit 68-51 in the franchise's first game. They finished their first season 15-17 overall and again in 2000.
In 2001, the Lynx, however, started to head into dismal as they posted a 12-20 record.
The Lynx' first head coach
Brian Agler was released during the 2002 season after compiling a 47-67 in 3+ seasons.
Heidi VanDerveer became the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. They would finish the 2002 season with a 10-22 record, worst in franchise history until 2006.
In 2003, the Lynx hired
Suzie McConnell Serio as head coach. She led the team to finished with a franchise-best 18-16 record and advanced to the WNBA Playoffs for the first time. They matched both of these feats in the 2004 season.
Unsuccessful Change (2005-2007)
The 2005 season was one of transition for the franchise. Leading scorer
Katie Smith was dealt to Detroit in July and the team stumbled down the stretch, missing the playoffs for the first time in three years. The poor finish did pay off however, as the team won the draft lottery and selected All American guard
Seimone Augustus of the
LSU Tigers with the #1 overall pick in the
2006 WNBA Draft.
The Lynx began the 2006 season as the youngest team in the WNBA. On
May 31 the team set the WNBA single game scoring record, routing the
Los Angeles Sparks 114-71. That victory however, was a rare bright spot in a frustrating season. On July 23, with her team floundering to an 8-15 record, head coach Suzie McConnell Serio resigned. She was replaced by assistant
Carolyn Jenkins, who piloted the squad to a 2-9 finish. The team's 24 losses set a franchise record.
Following the season, Seimone Augustus was named the 2006
WNBA Rookie of the Year. The 22-year-old was the second player in team history to win the award.
On
December 13,
2006 the Lynx named veteran
NBA assistant
Don Zierden their fifth head coach. His staff will include former Lynx player
Teresa Edwards and Jenkins.
In the
2007 WNBA Draft on April 4, the Lynx traded center
Tangela Smith, who they acquired in the dispersal draft from the
Charlotte Sting in December 2006, to the
Phoenix Mercury for guard
Lindsey Harding, who had been selected first overall earlier that day.
The Lynx began the 2007 season 0-7, lost 10 straight in July and failed to get into the playoff race. They finished tying a league worst 10-24 record. On
November 1,
2007 assistant coach/former head coach
Carolyn Jenkins was named Director of Player Personnel of the
WNBA.
Going Young (2008-present)
2008 started out much different for the Lynx than previous years. The Lynx came flying out of the gates, going 7-1 in the first first five weeks of the season. The Lynx then fell back down to Earth. The Lynx managed to play competitive basketball all season, but lost many key games down the stretch. In the end, the Lynx would finish with a very respectable 16-18 record in a tough Western Conference where every team was in the playoff chase at the end. After two consecutive 10-24 seasons, the 2008 Lynx was definitely a step in the right direction.
In 2009, the Lynx drafted standout
University of Connecticut star
Renee Montgomery. With the Lynx's youth in players like Augustus, Wiggins, Anosike, and Montgomery, the Lynx are looking to build on their near playoff appearance from 2008. By the
2009 All-Star break, the Lynx had already made a statement in the Western Conference. Leading scorer Augustus was lost for the season with an ACL injury, but that didn't stop the Lynx from remaining in playoff position going into the break.
Uniforms
- The home uniforms are white with blue, green, and silver trim. "Lynx" is written on the jerseys in green. The road uniforms are blue with silver, white and green trim and "Minnesota" written in silver.
Season-by-season records
| Season
| Team
| Conference
| Regular season
| Playoff Results
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| W
| L
| PCT
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| Minnesota Lynx
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| 1999
| 1999
| West
| 5th
| 15
| 17
| .469
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| 2000
| 2000
| West
| 6th
| 15
| 17
| .469
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| 2001
| 2001
| West
| 6th
| 12
| 20
| .375
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|
| 2002
| 2002
| West
| 8th
| 10
| 22
| .313
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|
| 2003
| 2003
| West
| 4th
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost
Conference Semifinals (Los Angeles, 1-2)
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| 2004
| 2004
| West
| 3rd
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost
Conference Semifinals (Seattle, 0-2)
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| 2005
| 2005
| West
| 6th
| 14
| 20
| .412
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|
| 2006
| 2006
| West
| 7th
| 10
| 24
| .294
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|
| 2007
| 2007
| West
| 6th
| 10
| 24
| .294
|
|
| 2008
| 2008
| West
| 6th
| 16
| 18
| .471
|
|
| 2009
| 2009
| West
| 5th
| 11
| 16
| .407
| TBD
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| Regular season
| 140
| 194
| .418
| 0 Conference Championships
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| Playoffs
| 1
| 4
| .200
| 0 WNBA Championships
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Players and coaches
Current roster
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Head coaches
- Brian Agler (1999-2002), now head coach of the Seattle Storm
- Heidi VanDerveer (2002)
- Suzie McConnell Serio (2003-2006)
- Carolyn Jenkins (2006)
- Don Zierden (2007-2009)
- Jennifer Gillom (2009-present)
Former players
- Svetlana Abrosimova
- Jacqueline Batteast
- Kiesha Brown, now a member of the Connecticut Sun
- Erin Perperoglou, now a member the San Antonio Silver Stars
- Janell Burse, now a member of the Seattle Storm
- Helen Darling, now a member of the San Antonio Silver Stars
- Teresa Edwards
- Tonya Edwards
- Kristin Folkl
- Lindsey Harding, now a member of the Washington Mystics
- Kristi Harrower, now a member of the Los Angeles Sparks
- Vanessa Hayden-Johnson, now a member of the Los Angeles Sparks
- Carolyn Jenkins, now the Director of Player Personnel of the WNBA
- Betty Lennox, now a member of the Los Angeles Sparks
- Andrea Lloyd-Curry, now a TV analyst for the Lynx
- Stacey Lovelace-Tolbert
- Kristen Mann, now a member of the Washington Mystics
- Nicole Ohlde, now a member of the Phoenix Mercury
- Kristen Rasmussen
- Tamika Raymond
- Brandy Reed
- Sheri Sam
- Katie Smith, now a member of the Detroit Shock
- Michele Van Gorp
- Adrian Williams-Strong
All-Stars
- 1999
: Tonya Edwards
- 2000
: Betty Lennox, Katie Smith
- 2001
: Katie Smith
- 2002
: Katie Smith
- 2003
: Katie Smith
- 2004
: None but Katie Smith on USA Olympic Team
- 2005
: Katie Smith
- 2006
: Seimone Augustus
- 2007
: Seimone Augustus
- 2008
: No All Star Game
- 2009
: Nicky Anosike, Charde Houston
Honors and Awards
- 2000
All-WNBA Second Team Member
Katie Smith
- 2000
All-WNBA Second Team Member
Betty Lennox
- 2000
Rookie of the Year
Betty Lennox
- 2001
All-WNBA First Team Member
Katie Smith
- 2002
All-WNBA Second Team Member
Katie Smith
- 2003
All-WNBA First Team Member
Katie Smith
- 2004
Coach of the Year
Suzie McConnell Serio
- 2004
Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award
Teresa Edwards
- 2006
Rookie of the Year
Seimone Augustus
- 2006
All-Rookie Team Member
Seimone Augustus
- 2006
All-WNBA Second Team Member
Seimone Augustus
- 2007
All-WNBA Second Team Member
Seimone Augustus
- 2008
Sixth Woman of the Year
Candice Wiggins
- 2008
All-Rookie Team Member
Candice Wiggins
- 2008
All-Rookie Team Member
Nicky Anosike