University of Minnesota Athletics
Whalen Shines in USA Basketball's 93-51 Win
9/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Lindsay Whalen is competing for a spot on USA Basketball's National Team roster for the upcoming FIBA World Championship, and the type of numbers she's putting up during four exhibition games will make it awfully difficult for head coach Geno Auriemma to do anything but keep her around.
Whalen, the all-time leading scorer at the University of Minnesota and a WNBA All-Star with the Minnesota Lynx this season, made 5-of-5 field goals to score 11 points in just 14 minutes during USA's 93-51 exhibition rout of Senegal on Saturday. Whalen was in the starting lineup for the second time in four games with the team, and she also grabbed two rebounds and came up with a steal to help USA (3-1) build a 31-8 lead after the first quarter and never look back.
Through the team's four games, Whalen has made a remarkable 16-of-19 (.842) field goals, including both of her three-point attempts, while adding 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Her scoring average of 9.0 points per game ranks fourth on the squad, and she is the only player among the team's top five scorers who did not play collegiately at the University of Connecticut or the University of Tennessee. About the only flaw in Whalen's performance to date are her seven turnovers, although there are nine players with at least five turnovers.
The team's past two exhibitions were played in Salamanca, Spain, and it departed for Brno, Czech Republic, follwing the game with Senegal. On Monday, the team will play a scrimmage against the Czech Republic, and then it will travel to Ostrava, Czech Republic, for the start of the FIBA World Championship on Thursday, Sept. 23. The USA is in Pool B for preliminary round play, with France, Greece, and Senegal also in its pool. Team USA will open the tournament versus Greece at 11:00 a.m. (CT) on Thursday in a game that can be seen on NBA TV.
Whalen should learn her fate sometime after the team's scrimmage with the Czech Republic. Whatever the final decision, though, the former Gophers standout has represented herself very well, and her play will give Coach Auriemma plenty to think about between now and the final roster cut.
--Michael Molde, Athletic Communications Assistant
