Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota – The homegrown star and first-year head coach had her alma mater rolling in non-conference play, starting this season 11-0 with eight double-digit wins. The Gophers struggled in the Big Ten, but Whalen has been a winner at every level—college, WNBA, and the USA national team—and there’s a belief around the state that she could get the Gophers to the Final Four for the first time since she took them there as a senior in 2004. If it happens in 2022, when the Final Four will be in Minneapolis, well, that would be icing on the cake.
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