The Lynx knew all along that replacing Lindsay Whalen would be a difficult task for any one player.
So this year, they’re trying two.
Whalen retired after the 2018 season. She has since been inducted into every possible Hall of Fame for which she was eligible.
During the Lynx’s glory years, she was coach Cheryl Reeve’s conduit to the team while on the court. The two shared a relationship that allowed the Lynx to win four titles in seven years, as Reeve’s coaching and Whalen’s guidance helped turn a collection of stars into a cohesive team.
Reeve’s efforts to find a point guard who could offer some semblance of Whalen’s leadership have led Reeve to try new starters or combinations virtually every year since 2018.
Reeve hasn’t failed to bring in good players. She has struggled to find the right player at the right time in her career who could stay healthy and run the team the way Reeve demands.
Danielle Robinson backed up Whalen in 2018 and became the starter in 2019. She played fast ... which Reeve didn’t necessarily like. She also struggled to shoot from the outside. Robinson was a pretty good player being asked to replace a legend. That didn’t work.
In 2020, the Lynx drafted Crystal Dangerfield with the 16th pick, and she became the WNBA rookie of the year. She excelled in clutch situations and helped the Lynx advance to the league semifinals in the COVID-19 bubble.