Lindsay Whalen's $900K Golden Valley home was a Gophers gathering spot

Two years ago, when basketball great Lindsay Whalen was making the transition from professional player to coach, she and her husband, Ben Greve, bought a villa in Golden Valley's Hidden Lakes community.

"We'd lived in the neighborhood before, in a townhouse," said Whalen, head coach of the University of Minnesota women's basketball team, who, as a player, earned two world titles, two Olympic gold medals and four WNBA championships with the Minnesota Lynx.

"When I was playing for the Lynx, it was perfect," she said. It was just five minutes from downtown Minneapolis and Target Center, yet quiet and peaceful."

The 4,129-square-foot house, which sits across from a park and was built in 2001, has great spaces for entertaining, and Whalen made the most of them.

"We hosted Thanksgiving for the team [Gophers]," she said, as well as various other gatherings for her players — "a lot of team functions, team bonding." The home was also the go-to spot for their extended family on holidays.

Whalen liked their generously sized dining room, where they could extend the table and accommodate 20 to 30 people. "Then we'd play games in the basement" — the walkout lower level, which features a two-sided fireplace, a bar and an impressive collection of framed sports jerseys.

In nice weather, Whalen enjoyed walking her dogs to the lakes, and grilling in the backyard. "The sunsets were opposite so we get shade in the evening, which is nice."

Whalen and Greve recently put the Hidden Lakes house on the market, listed at $899,900. They've already moved to a house in Eden Prairie.

At the Golden Valley house, there's an association that takes care of snow removal and yard work, she noted, "which was great when I was playing overseas and gone half the year. Now we're home and can take care of a yard."

Homeowner association fees are $475 per month.

The Golden Valley home has a main-floor master suite with a vaulted ceiling, deluxe bath and first-floor laundry room. There are three more bedrooms on the walkout lower level, including a second master suite. There's also a workout room, a home office and a three-car garage.

Whalen's favorite spot to hang out was the end of the living room, with its big windows overlooking the private backyard.

"It's close to the city, but you feel away from the city," she said.

Jay Ettinger, 612-990-7777, Edina Realty, has the listing.