Whalen to retire from WNBA at season's end; ready to coach Gophers

Lindsay Whalen, who became basketball royalty as a University of Minnesota star and WNBA champion, will retire from the WNBA at season's end as she takes over as head coach of the U women's team.

The Hutchinson, Minn., native, a four-time WNBA champion, will retire as the WNBA's all-time wins leader, racking up 322 career victories, the Lynx said in a statement Monday.

Her retirement wasn't entirely unexpected. In April, when she agreed to take on the job coaching the Gophers, she said she would retire from international play but stay in the WNBA. Some observers, though, noted that trying to handle a Big Ten coaching job while playing at the professional level would be a daunting task.

Whalen is expected to discuss her retirement at a press conference Monday. In a statement she thanked the Lynx and her prior team, the Connecticut Sun, adding, "I look forward to the next chapter in my basketball career and wish my Lynx coaches and teammates all of the best in the future."

Her jersey, No. 13, hangs in the rafters of Williams Arena, the university's basketball venue. She was the first three-time All-American in program history, a three-time All-Big Ten selection and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Whalen led the Gophers to their only Final Four in program history in 2004, where the team lost to the University of Connecticut.

She also played for two gold medal teams at the World Championships (2010, 2014) and has also won two Olympic gold medals (2012, 2016).