December 19, 2021 by Philip Lewenstein
A W for the WNBA…and the Lynx
October may be the best month for the TV sports addict (“Confessions of a TV Sports Addict: Perspective in the Pandemic Era,” May 9, 2021, www.philsfocus.com ). Multiple sports seasons converge, some ending, some starting.
The NBA and NHL seasons began in October while the WNBA season ended. The baseball playoffs were in full swing as was professional, college, and high school football. The October sports menu was a magnificent pre-Thanksgiving feast.
One week, I watched several walk-off baseball victories as well as football and hockey overtimes. But nothing caught my eye more than the WNBA playoffs, particularly the championship series between the Chicago Sky and the Phoenix Mercury.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, women’s professional basketball continues under the radar of the higher-profile men’s professional sports. Yet I appreciate the development of the league as an effective model for sports entertainment, civic activism, and community involvement.
Started 50 years after the beginning of the NBA, the WNBA has gained respect for its quality and growing support. The Minnesota Lynx have been a leader and key contributor to the league’s success.
This year’s championship series offered a perfect celebration of the WNBA’s first quarter century. Two underdogs, fifth and sixth seeds, competed for the title. Two of the league’s all-time greatest players, Diana Taurasi and Candace Parker, led their teams.
The sixth-seeded Sky defeated the fifth-seeded Mercury three games to one. Both teams featured talented players with speed, skill, and intensity.
The Sky executed superbly the basics of excellent team basketball: smooth fast break, accurate three-point shooting, effective screening, pick and roll, and backdoor cuts to the basket. Meanwhile, Phoenix demonstrated the individual talents of Taurasi, Brittney Griner, and Skyler Diggins-Smith.
In contrast to the failures of Minnesota’s male professional sports teams (except for the 1987 and 1991 Twins), the Lynx, led by coach Cheryl Reeve, have excelled, making the playoffs 11 straight years and winning four WNBA titles, tied for the best with the Houston Comets and Seattle Storm (“A History of Heartbreak in Minnesota Sports,” February 2, 2021, www.philsfocus.com ).
The WNBA was founded April 24, 1996, and the first season began in June 1997 with eight teams. The number of teams has fluctuated over the years.
The 12-team WNBA celebrated its 25th anniversary with increased exposure and higher ratings (“Chicago Sky Win WNBA Title,” by Rachel Bachman, October 18, 2021, Wall Street Journal).
Regular-season games averaged 321,000 viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and CBS, up 51 % from the pandemic-altered 2020 season, and 2021 was the league’s most-watched season in 13 years, according to Sports Media Watch. The league set records for merchandise sales online and social media engagement.
The Lynx were founded before the 1999 season. In April 1998, the WNBA announced it would add two expansion teams—Minnesota and Orlando—for the 1999 season.
Lynx Establish Winning Record Under Reeve
In 23 seasons, the Lynx have a 419-341 record, (.55 winning percentage), 13 playoff appearances, and the four championships. Five of the 25 all-time players have Minnesota ties: Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, and Katie Smith.
In 1999 through 2010, the Lynx missed the playoffs ten times. They made the playoffs in 2003 and 2004, losing in the semifinals.
The turning point in the team’s success began when Reeve was named head coach on December 8, 2009. MplsStPaul magazine calls Reeve “the most accomplished coach in the history of Minnesota sports,” (“Coach: Talking Hoops and Humanity with the Most Accomplished Coach in the History of Minnesota Sports,” by Steve Marsh, June 2021).
Also, after the 2009 season, the Lynx received Whalen in a trade with the Connecticut Sun and Brunson from the Sacramento Monarchs in a dispersal draft. Moore was selected first in the 2011 WNBA draft.
After a 13-21 record in 2010, the Lynx won their first championship in 2011.
Reeve was named the WNBA coach of the year in 2011 after leading Minnesota to a league-best 27-7 regular-season record. The Lynx made a 14-game improvement from 2010, marking the second-largest single-season win increase in WNBA history.
The Lynx dynasty years were 2011 through 2017 as they reached the finals six times in seven years. After winning the 2011 title, the Lynx repeated in 2013, 2015, and 2017.
The Lynx lost to the Indiana Fever in the 2012 finals and to the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2016 finals. In 2014, the Lynx lost to the Mercury 2-1 in the conference finals.
On December 6, 2012, Reeve signed a multi-year contract extension. And on December 28, 2017, Reeve was named general manager and signed another multi-year contract extension. Since then, she has both coached and managed the Lynx.
Finishing the 2017 season 27-7, Minnesota registered its sixth 25-win season in seven years. Minnesota became the first WNBA franchise to win more than 27 games in a season four times.
I expressed my admiration for the Lynx, noting competent management, outstanding coaching leadership, and players who have melded their individual talent into a coherent team (“I Love the Lynx,” August 10, 2017, www.philsfocus.com ). Also, the players are superb role models and positive contributors to the community, I added.
In 2018, the Lynx were the #7 playoff seed after an 18-16 regular season. The Lynx lost to the Los Angeles Sparks in a first-round elimination game, the final game of Whalen’s career. Brunson and Moore also retired after the 2018 season, and Augustus was traded to the Sparks.
Moore left professional basketball before the start of the 2019 season to work on social-justice issues, eventually marrying the man, Jonathan Irons, whose conviction she helped overturn.
Lynx Continue to Win After Dynasty Years
Although 2018 marked the end of the dynasty, it did not signal the end of Lynx success, as Reeve continued to construct a solid roster with smart draft choices and free-agent signings. In 2019, Napheesa Collier, drafted sixth, became rookie of the year. And in 2020, Crystal Dangerfield, drafted 16th overall, became rookie of the year.
Reeve called 2019 a “duct tape year.” “We knew in 2018,”she said. “The public didn’t know everything yet. That roster was in shambles. And 2019 we called it our duct tape year. We duct taped everything together, but we found a way to be competitive.
“We hung in there. We got lucky in the draft with Phee. We made the playoffs. And the last year (2020), going down to the bubble, we were projected to finish as high as fourth. But it was a group that is buoyed by our culture, and it’s like they’re carrying a torch.
“And every year, we offered Sylvia Fowles the opportunity: If she needed to be somewhere else, we understood that. But she wanted to be here. So now, I’ve got two top-ten players, and that’s why we’ve been able to get back in the mix.”
In 2019, the Lynx were 18-16, then lost to Seattle in the first playoff round. They were 14-8 in 2020, losing in the semifinals 3-0 to Seattle. Not much was expected of the Lynx during the season in the bubble, the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, especially with Fowles missing the final 13 regular-season games with a calf injury. Reeve noted the team’s special chemistry.
“This (2020) was a special season,” Reeve said. “This is a special group that accomplished special things together.”
In the off-season, Reeve added three veteran stars: Kayla McBride, Aerial Powers, and Natalie Achonwa to the roster. Early in the 2021 season, Reeve signed Layshia Clarendon, who sparked the team after its slow start.
In 2021, the Lynx were 22-10 for third place in the western conference, but lost in the second playoff round to eventual champion Chicago.
After 12 seasons with the Lynx through 2021, Reeve has won 267 regular-season games against 127 losses for a .67 winning percentage. Her playoff record is 41-21, a .66 winning percentage.
Since taking over in 2010, Reeve’s .674 regular-season winning percentage ranks first in league history. She’s one of two coaches to win more than 60 % of their games (the other is Van Chancellor, .655). Reeve’s 41 career playoff victories are the most in league history as is her playoff winning percentage.
Reeve was named WNBA coach of the year for the third time in 2020 and was named executive of the year in 2019. As a coach, Reeve is a superb teacher, motivator, and tactician. Not only does she plan well for opponents, but she is quick to adapt and make changes during games.
On December 8, 2021, Reeve was named coach of the U.S. women’s national team. An assistant on gold medal-winning Olympic teams in 2016 and 2021, Reeve will head the U.S. teams at the 2022 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament, 2022 FIBA World Cup, the 2023-24 Olympic Qualifying Tournament and, if the United States qualifies, the 2024 Olympic games in Paris.
Five Lynx Players in League’s Top 25
In addition to the work of Reeve, the Lynx success can be attributed to the five players honored in the league’s “W25.”
Augustus, a four-time champion with the Lynx, was an eight-time all-star selection. She is a six-time all-WNBA pick. Augustus was a key component of the Lynx dynasty.
Moore, also a four-time champion, was a seven-time all-WNBA selection. The first pick in the 2011 draft, she was the 2014 league MVP and league scoring champion.
Whalen won four titles with the Lynx. She is third all time in assists, leading the league in assists three times. She was a five-time all-WNBA selection. My favorite Minnesota basketball player, Whalen has played in more winning games than any other WNBA performer (“Whalen Defines Greatness with Skills and Character,” February 26, 2018, www.philsfocus.com ).
Fowles, still with the Lynx, is the league career leader in rebounds and defensive boards. She has won two championships with the Lynx and two finals MVP awards. Fowles is a three-time all-WNBA defense player of the year.
Smith helped guide the Lynx to their first-ever playoff appearance in 2003. Playing for five teams in her career, she won two championships and finals MVP awards with the Detroit Shock.
Conspicuously absent from the Top 25 is Rebekkah Brunson, whose career included five championships, one with Sacramento and four with the Lynx. The league’s all-time leader in postseason wins, Brunson retired as the league all-time total rebound leader.
“The W25” is the 25-greatest and most-influential players in league history as selected by a panel of media members and women’s basketball pioneers. Selection also was based on overall contribution to the league and community.
In the Greatest of All Time voting by league fans, the top five are Taurasi, Parker, Moore, Sue Bird, and Cynthia Cooper.
WNBA Leads in Community Service, Social Justice Advocacy
In addition to its quality-basketball, the WNBA has gained respect for its leadership in community service and social justice. The New York Times in 2020 called the WNBA “the most socially progressive pro league.”
Activist players have focused on the inequality between men’s and women’s sports and about equality in gender, sexual orientation, and race. Players have supported progressive social and political movements such as Black Lives Matter.
The WNBA has been the best sports league in diversity hiring, again achieving an A+ grade in 2021 for overall diversity hiring from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida.
The WNBA earned an A+ for race and an A+ for gender in the 2021 WNBA Racial and Gender Report Card. “The WNBA sets the standard for powerful and inclusive representation across their organization in terms of players, coaches, staff, and administration,” the report says.
“The WNBA has been and continues to be the leader in both racial and gender hiring practices,” said Richard Lapchick, director of TIDES. “They have just set a standard that nobody else has. The NBA has obviously done extremely well, but the WNBA is still the best when it comes to all the pro sports leagues that we cover.”
The Lynx have been leaders in advocating for social justice and were the first local team to release a statement on the Chauvin verdict. Reeve has hired an all-female assistant coaching staff.
“We’ve been that,” Reeve told MplsStPaul magazine. “In 2016, we took the very bold step of being the first team to vocalize the need for police reform. That group was a mature group. I don’t think we would have done it unless we were in that place to be mature and handle it.
“What I told them is, it takes courage to create the change that we want to see, and it doesn’t come without consequences. And I told them, ultimately, in doing this, we had to continue to be successful on the court, because that’s our jobs.
“That weekend when we wore our ‘Change Starts with Us’ T-shirts around the Philando Castile and Alton Sterling deaths and at the same time the Dallas Police Department was ambushed, there was a lot going on, and we were trying to be a voice for many. I think we won by about 50. I marvel at that. I was overwhelmed with what was happening as a white female. I don’t know how they did it so gracefully, because it’s a lot.”
Soon after the George Floyd protests, the league and union decided in 2020 to put Black Lives Matter and Say Her Name slogans on warm-up gear and opening weekend uniforms. This year, the WNBA has led professional sports teams in promoting Covid-19 vaccines. In June, the league announced that 99 % of its players were fully vaccinated.
WNBA Can Improve on Success, Expand
Despite its successes over 25 years, the WNBA can improve. Salaries are relatively low, attendance often is sparse, and broadcast availability is inconsistent.
Star Tribune sports columnist Jim Souhan recently outlined steps to make the WNBA better (“Seven ways WNBA can build upon its success,” Star Tribune, October 22, 2021).
The WNBA should avoid conflicts with NFL games in the fall. Even baseball, once America’s most popular sport, can’t compete with the NFL, Souhan notes.
NBA owners who also own WNBA franchises should see the growth and positive trends surrounding the WNBA and pay the players, expand the rosters, expand the league, and, later, reap the rewards, Souhan says.
The league needs to pay its players enough so they don’t need or want to play overseas, Souhan adds. And teams should use charter planes instead of making teams fly commercial, at least for the playoffs. “Want to sell yourself as a major sport?” Souhan asks. “Act like a major sport.”
Further, all WNBA games should be available on readily accessible broadcast channels rather than on Facebook and Twitter, Souhan says. “Watching games on Twitter is annoying, and forcing fans to buy an extra subscription is a bad idea,” he says.
And the WNBA should “keep fighting the good fight,” Souhan says. “The WNBA punches well above its weight when it comes to social issues and social justice. It is America’s most admirable league.
“Keep it up. The people alienated by your stances were never going to attend WNBA games anyway. There are millions of good people out there who will gravitate toward women’s basketball as the league grows in popularity and scope.
“And as Maya Moore has demonstrated, there are things in life more important than basketball. Keep using basketball as a means to make the world a better place. It will pay off. It already has.”
Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated argues that the WNBA should expand (“Think Bigger: A Wildly Successful Finals Made It Clear That the WNBA Has the Talent to Fill More Teams,” December 2021).
The WNBA has both the product and the surfeit of talent to expand, Rosenberg says. “Right now is a good summation of when the WNBA should expand, for both business and basketball reasons,” he says. “It has had 12 teams since 2010, which is too small for a major sports league. Four of the nine-largest TV markets do not have a WNBA team.
“What the WNBA needs more than anything is an aggressive expansion and marketing plan that spreads a fantastic product around the country. The WNBA’s approach to the media and merchandise sales still lags far behind other leagues.
“The WNBA has the product. It is time to sell it more effectively and in more places.”
The outlook for the WNBA is bright, and the Lynx are a major reason for that future.
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