2011 Minnesota Lynx season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 13th season for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Lynx qualified for the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2004 and won their first Western Conference championship.
2011 Minnesota Lynx season | |
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Coach | Cheryl Reeve |
Arena | Target Center |
Attendance | 8,447 per game |
Results | |
Record | 27–7 (.794) |
Place | 1st (Western) |
Playoff finish | Won WNBA Finals |
Team Leaders | |
Points | Augustus (16.2) |
Rebounds | Brunson (8.9) |
Assists | Whalen (5.9) |
Media | |
Radio | KLCI |
Television | FS-N ESPN2, NBATV |
The Lynx finished the season with a 27-7 record, best in the WNBA and the best regular-season record in franchise history. They then defeated the San Antonio Silver Stars in three games and the Phoenix Mercury in two to reach the 2011 WNBA Finals.
The Lynx swept the Atlanta Dream to win their first WNBA championship.
Offseason
2011 WNBA Draft
The Lynx held the first overall pick in the 2011 Draft, and surprised nobody by selecting Maya Moore, a 6'0" forward out of Connecticut. Moore had won three consecutive Wade Trophies as the best player in women's college basketball, the only player to have done so. She had also won two championships with the Huskies.[1] The Lynx also held the fourth overall pick, which they used to select Amber Harris from Xavier. Both Moore and Harris would ultimately make the team out of training camp.
In the second round, the Lynx selected Jessica Breland, Felicia Chester, and Kachine Alexander. The Lynx ultimately released Alexander.
Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School/Team/Country |
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1 | 1 | Maya Moore | United States | Connecticut |
1 | 4 (from Conn.) | Amber Harris | United States | Xavier |
2 | 13 (from Tul. via Conn.) | Jessica Breland | United States | North Carolina |
2 | 14 | Felicia Chester | United States | DePaul |
2 | 26 | Kachine Alexander | United States | Iowa |
Free Agency
The Lynx declined to re-sign Hamchetou Maiga-Ba and Kristen Mann. Instead, they signed veteran center Taj McWilliams-Franklin and center/forward Jessica Adair, who had played one game with the Lynx in the 2010 season.
Trades
The Lynx traded the draft rights to Jessica Breland to the New York Liberty for Angel Robinson and a second-round pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft. They traded Felicia Chester to the Atlanta Dream for Rachel Jarry and a second-round pick in the 2012 Draft. They traded Quanitra Hollingsworth to the Liberty for the rights to swap third-round picks in the 2012 draft, and they traded Nicky Anosike for a first-round pick in the 2012 Draft. The Lynx ultimately waived Jarry and Robinson.
Date | Trade | |
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April 9, 2011 | To Minnesota Lynx | To Washington Mystics |
first-round pick in 2012 Draft | Nicky Anosike | |
April 11, 2011 | To Minnesota Lynx | To New York Liberty |
Angel Robinson and a second-round pick in 2012 Draft | Jessica Breland | |
April 11, 2011 | To Minnesota Lynx | To Atlanta Dream |
Rachel Jarry and a second-round pick in 2012 Draft | Felicia Chester | |
May 27, 2011 | To Minnesota Lynx | To New York Liberty |
right to swap third-round picks in 2012 Draft | Quanitra Hollingsworth |
Transaction log
- February 1: The Lynx signed Jessica Adair.
- February 18: The Lynx signed Taj McWilliams-Franklin.
- April 9: The Lynx traded Nicky Anosike to the Washington Mystics in exchange for their first-round pick in the 2012 Draft.
- April 11: The Lynx traded draft rights to Jessica Breland to the New York Liberty for the draft rights to Angel Robinson and New York’s second-round pick in the 2012 Draft.
- April 11: The Lynx traded Felecia Chester to the Atlanta Dream for Rachel Jarry and a 2012 second-round draft pick.
- May 12: The Lynx waived Hamchetou Maiga-Ba.
- May 27: The Lynx waived Angel Robinson and Kachine Alexander.
- May 27: The Lynx traded Quanitra Hollingsworth to the New York Liberty in exchange for the right to swap third-round picks in the 2012 Draft.
Additions
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Subtractions
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Roster
2011 Minnesota Lynx roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Season standings
Western Conference | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Conf. |
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Minnesota Lynx x | 27 | 7 | .794 | – | 14–3 | 13–4 | 18–4 |
Seattle Storm x | 21 | 13 | .618 | 6.0 | 15–2 | 6–11 | 15–7 |
Phoenix Mercury x | 19 | 15 | .559 | 8.0 | 11–6 | 8–9 | 11–11 |
San Antonio Silver Stars x | 18 | 16 | .529 | 9.0 | 9–8 | 9–8 | 11–11 |
Los Angeles Sparks o | 15 | 19 | .441 | 12.0 | 10–7 | 5–12 | 10–12 |
Tulsa Shock o | 3 | 31 | .088 | 24.0 | 2–15 | 1–16 | 1–21 |
Schedule
Preseason
2011 Game Log: Preseason | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular season
Postseason
2011 Game Log: Postseason | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Western Conference Semifinals
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Western Conference Finals
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WNBA Finals
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Statistics
Legend | |||||||
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GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage | TO | Turnovers per game |
PF | Fouls per game | Team leader | League leader |
Regular season
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
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Jessica Adair | 31 | 1 | 10.4 | .485 | .000 | .653 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 0.26 | 0.58 | 4.3 |
Seimone Augustus | 34 | 34 | 29.3 | .504 | .417 | .865 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 0.88 | 0.44 | 16.2 |
Rebekkah Brunson | 34 | 34 | 27.6 | .511 | .000 | .667 | 8.9 | 1.2 | 0.82 | 0.53 | 10.2 |
Amber Harris | 27 | 0 | 10.3 | .398 | .000 | .742 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.11 | 0.41 | 3.3 |
Alexis Hornbuckle | 29 | 0 | 7.2 | .375 | .294 | .500 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.34 | 0.10 | 1.1 |
Charde Houston | 27 | 0 | 7.8 | .365 | .261 | .750 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.33 | 0.07 | 2.9 |
Taj McWilliams-Franklin | 34 | 33 | 28.4 | .444 | .222 | .770 | 6.0 | 2.4 | 1.03 | 0.71 | 8.3 |
Maya Moore | 34 | 34 | 28.0 | .439 | .369 | .788 | 4.6 | 2.6 | 1.41 | 0.47 | 13.2 |
Lindsay Whalen | 34 | 34 | 28.1 | .511 | .405 | .730 | 3.5 | 5.9 | 1.09 | 0.15 | 13.6 |
Candice Wiggins | 34 | 0 | 17.1 | .386 | .395 | .625 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.53 | 0.21 | 5.9 |
Monica Wright | 29 | 0 | 13.6 | .379 | .259 | .750 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.79 | 0.17 | 5.1 |
Postseason
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
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Jessica Adair | 8 | 0 | 12.3 | .469 | .000 | .667 | 3.60 | 0.3 | 0.63 | 0.63 | 5.8 |
Seimone Augustus | 8 | 8 | 33.0 | .527 | .438 | .886 | 4.50 | 3.8 | 0.88 | 0.63 | 22.0 |
Rebekkah Brunson | 8 | 8 | 30.6 | .473 | .000 | .781 | 10.80 | 1.5 | 0.88 | 0.63 | 11.9 |
Amber Harris | 6 | 0 | 5.2 | .400 | 1.000 | .000 | 1.20 | 0.2 | 0.17 | 0.00 | 1.5 |
Alexis Hornbuckle | 4 | 0 | 3.8 | .600 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.30 | 1.3 | 0.00 | 0.50 | 2.8 |
Charde Houston | 2 | 0 | 6.0 | .375 | .000 | .000 | 2.00 | 0.5 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 3.0 |
Taj McWilliams-Franklin | 8 | 8 | 30.3 | .455 | .000 | .833 | 5.30 | 3.3 | 0.60 | 1.25 | 10.6 |
Maya Moore | 8 | 8 | 27.9 | .458 | .400 | .690 | 5.90 | 2.3 | 1.00 | 0.63 | 13.8 |
Lindsay Whalen | 8 | 8 | 32.0 | .463 | .286 | .818 | 3.60 | 3.8 | 1.50 | 0.50 | 12.0 |
Candice Wiggins | 8 | 0 | 16.0 | .345 | .348 | .667 | 1.60 | 1.3 | 0.25 | 0.13 | 4.0 |
Monica Wright | 8 | 0 | 10.6 | .360 | .250 | .333 | 1.30 | 0.6 | 0.75 | 0.25 | 2.5 |
Awards and honors
- Rebekkah Brunson was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the week of June 3, 2011.
- Rebekkah Brunson was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the week of July 11, 2011.
- Seimone Augustus was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the week of July 18, 2011.
- Seimone Augustus was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the week of August 1, 2011.
- Seimone Augustus was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the week of August 22, 2011.
- Rebekkah Brunson was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month for the month of June.
- Seimone Augustus was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month for the month of July.
- Lindsay Whalen was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month for the month of August.
- Maya Moore was named WNBA Rookie of the Month for the month of July.
- Maya Moore was named WNBA Rookie of the Month for the month of August.
- Seimone Augustus was named to the 2011 WNBA All-Star Team as a reserve.
- Rebekkah Brunson was named to the 2011 WNBA All-Star Team as a reserve.
- Maya Moore was named to the 2011 WNBA All-Star Team as a starter.
- Lindsay Whalen was named to the 2011 WNBA All-Star Team as a reserve.
- Lindsay Whalen finished as a Peak Performer, averaging 5.9 assists per game.
- Rebekkah Brunson was named to the All-Defensive First Team.
- Maya Moore was named Rookie of the Year.
- Maya Moore was named to the All-Rookie Team.
- Lindsay Whalen was named to the All-WNBA First Team.
- Seimone Augustus was named to the All-WNBA Second Team.
- Cheryl Reeve was named Coach of the Year.
- Seimone Augustus was named Finals Most Valuable Player.