Minnesota Lynx

For current information on this topic, see 2010 Minnesota Lynx season.

Minnesota Lynx
Conference	Western
Founded	1999
History	Minnesota Lynx (1999-present)
Arena	Target Center
City	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Team colors	Blue, Green, White, Silver
Owner(s)	Glen Taylor
General manager	Roger Griffith
Head Coach	Jennifer Gillom
Championships	None
Conference titles	None
Mascot	Prowl the Lynx [1]
Official website	wnba.com

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.

Franchise History

Joining the League (1998-2004)

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 finish 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.

Great Start, Still No Playoffs (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 did the same thing from 2008 with a good start, but lost many key games, including a horrific six-game losing streak, and finished 14-20, out from the playoffs for the 5th straight season.

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

Players and coaches

Current roster

Minnesota Lynx roster v • d • e
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. From 4.5 F/C 21 USA  Anosike, Nicky 76 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 211 lb (96 kg) Tennessee 1.5 G 33 USA  Augustus, Seimone  72 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 179 lb (81 kg) LSU 1.5 G 5 USA  Hodges, Roneeka 71 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Florida State 5.0 C 9 USA  Hollingsworth, Quanitra 77 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 201 lb (91 kg) Virginia Commonwealth 3.5 F 24 USA  Houston, Charde 73 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 189 lb (86 kg) Connecticut 5.0 C 34 USA  Humphrey, Tasha 75 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Georgia 3.5 F 8 USA  McCants, Rashanda 73 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 161 lb (73 kg) North Carolina 1.0 PG 2 USA  Miller, Kelly 70 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 140 lb (64 kg) Georgia 3.5 F 12 Spain  Montañana, Anna 73 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) George Washington 1.5 G 20 USA  Montgomery, Renee 67 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) 139 lb (63 kg) Connecticut 1.5 G 11 USA  Wiggins, Candice 71 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 154 lb (70 kg) Stanford	Head coach Jennifer Gillom (Mississippi) Assistant coach(es) Jim Davis (Tennessee Wesleyan) Jim Peterson (Minnesota) Strength and conditioning coach(es) Katie Murphy Athletic trainer(s) Chuck Barta (Wisconsin-La Crosse) Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (IN) Inactive (S) Suspended Injured Roster Last transaction: 2009-05-30

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)

Target Center, home of the Lynx

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 WNBA Tulsa
• 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

External links

• Minnesota Lynx Official Website
• Downtown Journal's Stephen Litel
• Sue Short's "Lynx Lane" fanpage
• Jenkins accepts job as WNBA Director of Player Personnel
• Zierden resigned as Lynx Coach
• Gillom named Head Coach of The Minnesota Lynx

v • d • e Sports teams based in Minnesota Baseball MLB: Minnesota Twins, AA: St. Paul Saints, NwL: Alexandria Beetles • Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers • Duluth Huskies • Mankato MoonDogs • Rochester Honkers • St. Cloud River Bats Basketball NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves, WNBA: Minnesota Lynx Football NFL: Minnesota Vikings, IWFL: Minnesota Vixen, WFA: Minnesota Machine, MFL: Minneapolis Lumberjacks • Duluth-Superior Shoremen Hockey NHL: Minnesota Wild, NAHL: Albert Lea Thunder • Alexandria Blizzard • Owatonna Express, WWHL: Minnesota Whitecaps Soccer USL-1: Minnesota Thunder, PDL: Rochester Thunder, WL: Minnesota Lightning, NPSL: St. Paul Twin Stars Lacrosse NLL: Minnesota Swarm College athletics NCAA Division I: University of Minnesota, Minnesota State University, Mankato (Hockey), St. Cloud State University (Hockey), University of Minnesota Duluth (Hockey) Bemidji State University(Hockey)