Minnesota women’s basketball coach Lindsay Whalen is stepping down from her role with the Golden Gophers, the school announced Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Whalen’s departure, which is effective immediately, comes one day after her team was eliminated from the Big Ten tournament.
- Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle and Whalen have agreed that she will remain with the athletic department as a special assistant to Coyle through April 12, 2025.
- Whalen coached the Gophers from 2018 to 2023 and compiled an overall record of 71-76 (32-58 in conference play) across five seasons.
Backstory
The Gophers went 11-19 this season and 4-14 in the Big Ten play, despite Whalen recruiting the best class in program history this year. Their season ended in a 72-67 loss to Penn State on Wednesday at the Big Ten tournament.
Whalen played for Minnesota from 2000 to 2004 and helped lead the Gophers to their only Final Four in program history. She went on to play 15 seasons in the WNBA with the Connecticut Sun and Minnesota Lynx and earned five All-Star nominations. During her six seasons in Minnesota, she won four WNBA championships with the team.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
How surprising is the timing?
In some ways, not surprising at all. The Gophers’ only finish in the top…
