Winning a championship is difficult. Winning four within a 7-year span is even more difficult. Opposing teams are gunning for them and keeping a championship nucleus intact can pose a challenge. When the Minnesota Lynx take the floor on Sunday, they will be aiming for their fifth championship.
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They will be another year older in a league that’s another year wiser. The Lynx were the oldest team in the WNBA last season at 30.22 years old. Coach Cheryl Reeve said on media day that you need talent and experience and that this is a veteran league.
She’s right. You can be talented but inexperienced and find yourself a year or two away from contending. You can be also be experienced and untalented and miss the playoffs entirely.
There’s also a risk in being too experienced. Teams that are too long in the tooth often rely too much on declining talent and are susceptible to burning out against younger legs. Reeve has promised the core of Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, and Rebekkah Brunson that they will never be traded, even as they play through their mid-30s.
Reeve has begun her contingency plan. Renee Montgomery signed with the Atlanta Dream in free agency and former all-star Danielle Robinson was traded for to fill that void. Robinson is two years younger than Montgomery and should allow the Lynx to keep the miles off of Whalen while also giving the team a point guard to go forward with Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles.
In the backcourt, the Lynx will also return Alexis Jones, who struggled offensively as a rookie. Yet, her 37.9 3-point percentage offers some encouragement that she can spell the veterans.
Up front, the Lynx added Italian center Cecilia Zandalasini to pair with second-year player Temi Fagbenle. Playing behind Fowles isn’t great if you’re looking for minutes but the team will be looking for a reliable backup behind her.
All in all, the Lynx feature five players with 10 years or more of WNBA experience. It’s not that they have older players up and down the roster but a good mix of prospects and role players in the middle of their careers.
This will matter when it comes to competing with the Sparks, Mystics, Liberty, Sun, and other top teams not only this year but for many years to come. With Whalen becoming the head coach of the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team, we know this is likely her last season. That makes this season the last year with this iconic core.
Expect this current group to look to send Whalen off with one more ring as they look to solidify their core of the future.