Lindsay Whalen already had been to the Final Four and won an Olympic gold medal. But on Wednesday, in fighting off yet another injury in a season full of them, Whalen and the Lynx added another word to their résumés: dynasty. One day after the Lynx captured their third WNBA title in five seasons, Whalen, 33, chatted by phone with the Star Tribune's Michael Rand:
Q It's been said for the last couple years that the Lynx are getting old and might be slipping. Do you take particular satisfaction, then, in winning this time around because of those doubters?
A I mean, people are going to say it because, as Coach [Cheryl] Reeve says, we're not getting any younger. But we're also getting more experienced as we go. It was definitely a lot of fun this year.
Q A third championship signifies, to a lot of people, a dynasty. Does that mean anything to you, and do you consider this a dynasty?
A I mean, three in five years? That's pretty good. If people want to say it's a dynasty, that's great. To be even thought about in that kind of category in sports these days is great. To do it this year, I want to say it's the best one because it's so fresh and because it was the hardest.
Q Will you need any kind of surgery in the offseason for your various injuries — Achilles, bursitis, ankle?
A No, no. The Achilles and bursitis are feeling great. Just a further checkup on the ankle. [Wednesday] I totally rolled my ankle on a play in the first quarter. Coach asked if I could go and I said, 'I'm going to try.' I figured I'd deal with the swelling and pain later.
Q Will you play overseas this year?
