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Alexa Philippou, ESPN
In a WNBA offseason outlined by teaching turnover, the Minnesota Lynx made two huge hires to spherical out head coach Cheryl Reeve’s workers, including franchise legend Lindsay Whalen as an assistant coach and former Washington Mystics head coach Eric Thibault as affiliate head coach.
Whalen, who coached at her alma mater of Minnesota from 2018 to 2023, was the Lynx’s level guard throughout their dynastic run within the 2010s. Thibault has over a decade of teaching expertise with the Mystics, for whom he served as head coach the previous two seasons earlier than his October firing.
“We labored arduous to place our greatest foot ahead for [our players] as a result of we proceed to have huge objectives for this group,” Reeve advised ESPN. “I feel this workers is well-positioned to assist us get there.”
Behind famous person Napheesa Collier, the Lynx surpassed expectations to complete second within the regular-season standings and superior to the Finals, falling to the New York Liberty in a winner-take-all Game 5.
The Minnesota hires come amid a workers restructuring. Earlier this offseason, affiliate head coach Katie Smith departed for Ohio State and basic supervisor Clare Duwelius joined the brand new Unrivaled league.
Reeve had tried to rent Whalen two years in the past, however the Naismith Hall of Famer mentioned there was no convincing wanted this time round.
“It simply appears like it is time to get again, work arduous, and be part of a workforce and a gaggle,” Whalen advised ESPN. “It simply all felt just like the timing was actually proper.”
Whalen, who retired after the 2018 marketing campaign, watched carefully this previous summer season because the Lynx had their finest season in years, sitting courtside throughout the Finals in Minneapolis and in New York because the workforce got here inside seconds of a championship.
“She was actually supportive,” Collier advised ESPN. “Always congratulating after an excellent sport or saying we bought this after a loss … simply actually had that supportive position this complete time.”
Whalen joins a workers additionally that includes Rebekkah Brunson, a detailed pal and former Lynx teammate with whom she gained 4 championships.
“I feel it is what makes us so distinctive at Minnesota; we now have individuals who’ve been by what we’re going by,” Collier mentioned. “They gained so many championships within the place they’re teaching and we’re taking part in at now. … I really feel tremendous fortunate I get to be part of that.”
Reeve additionally hopes Whalen can present steering to Courtney Williams, having additionally “lived that life” as a degree guard topic to Reeve’s excessive expectations for the place.
“I feel having me will actually assist her take hopefully one other step this yr into persevering with to guide the workforce and be a profitable level guard for the franchise,” Whalen mentioned.
Reeve sees each Thibault and Whalen as taking a hands-on strategy to participant improvement and anticipates their previous experiences as head coaches will enable them to be even higher assistants.
Thibault and Reeve developed a “mutual respect through the years,” in Thibault’s phrases, with the Lynx and Mystics often coaching towards one another within the preseason. Reeve sat down with Thibault a couple of years in the past to supply recommendation on making the transfer from assistant to move coach.
Before taking the helm in D.C., Thibault was affiliate head coach for his father, Mike, beginning in 2019, the season the Mystics gained their first WNBA title.
“You need to be sure to’re aligned the place you’re, and that wasn’t actually the case anymore,” Thibault advised ESPN concerning the Mystics. “I’ve bought no in poor health emotions in any way in direction of D.C. … I felt gratitude in direction of D.C. because it all ended, and I really feel a variety of gratitude in direction of Minnesota now.”
Reeve mentioned Thibault has a “nice really feel” for the type of basketball she needs her Lynx groups to play — a five-out offense predicated on spacing the ground and sharing the ball — as a result of it is much like how the Thibaults ran issues in Washington.
She thought Thibault did a “super” job final season, rallying an injury-laden workforce from beginning 0-12 to being within the combine for the playoffs till the ultimate day of the common season.
“It was very clear the workforce continued to belief in what they had been doing, trusted one another, trusted the management of Eric,” Reeve mentioned.
Whalen and Thibault have their very own intertwined historical past: Whalen performed for Mike as a part of the Connecticut Sun for six seasons. Carly Thibault-DuDonis, Eric’s sister, served as Whalen’s affiliate head coach at Minnesota. Whalen even remembers going to Eric’s highschool basketball video games.
“The Thibaults and the Whalens have all the time been very tight,” Eric Thibault mentioned. “Now we get to place our heads collectively and attempt to assist Cheryl and the Lynx get again to being champions.”
“I could not think about a greater state of affairs for me,” Whalen added. “I simply am so excited, actually, for all of it.”
