Lindsay Whalen Named Western Conference Player of the Week


MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The WNBA today named Minnesota Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen its Western Conference Player of the Week presented by Kia Motors for games played Monday, August 2 through Sunday, August 8. Whalen becomes the second Lynx player to win the weekly award this season, joining Seimone Augustus who received the honor on June 21.

In three games last week, Whalen averaged 21.3 points, 7.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds as the Lynx went 2-1 to remain firmly in the Western Conference Playoff race. Whalen recorded season highs with 27 points and 12 assists in the Lynx' 111-103 win over Connecticut on Monday, the first 20+-point/10+-assist game of her career and the first in Lynx history. She scored 10 of her points in overtime - including a 6-of-6 stint at the line in the final minute - which set a franchise record for points in an extra session. Four nights later in Chicago, Whalen's 19 points, seven assists and season-high seven rebounds helped rally the Lynx from a 16-point halftime deficit to defeat the Sky in overtime, 87-82. The 16-point comeback equaled the third-biggest comeback in club history. Last night, Whalen scored a team-high 18 points (12 in the second half) as the Lynx fell to the New York Liberty, 72-74. For the week, Whalen knocked down 23-of-24 (.958 percent) free throws.

For the season, Whalen holds averages of 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and a career-high 5.7 assists in 33.5 minutes per game. She currently ranks third in the WNBA in assists per game, fourth in free-throw accuracy (.908 percent), third in minutes per game and 23rd in steals per game (1.38 spg). With her 146 assists on the season, Whalen is just three shy of surpassing the single-season franchise record of 148, set by Teresa Edwards (2003) and matched by Noelle Quinn (2007). Whalen has recorded 5+ assists 16 times and has paced the Lynx in assists in 22 of 26 games this season.

Whalen wins the Player of the Week award for the fifth time in her career, first in a Lynx uniform.

Indiana's Tamika Catchings was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Other candidates for the WNBA's Western Conference Player of the Week were Seattle's Swin Cash, Phoenix' Diana Taurasi, Los Angeles' Tina Thompson and San Antonio's Sophia Young.

With their 2-1 week, the Lynx have regained the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and currently sit a half-game up on Los Angeles at 10-17.

Minnesota begins a critical week tomorrow when it travels to San Antonio to take on the third-place Silver Stars. If the Lynx win, they will move a half-game up on San Antonio for the third position in the West. The Lynx play host to Los Angeles on Thursday at Target Center before traveling to Washington the next night to battle the Mystics.

The Lynx have seven games remaining on the schedule, two at Target Center and five on the road. The WNBA playoffs begin on Wednesday, Aug. 25.

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