That's the online headline. The headline in the actual Strib newspaper is:
WHALEN BALANCING ACT BEGINS
Yes, it was capitalized in bold.
"The Dawn Staley comparisons were immediate when Lindsay Whalen was hired as the Gophers women's basketball coach. Both were college and WNBA stars. Both had Olympic gold medals. And both still ran the point for a WNBA team the day they became a big-time college basketball head coach for the first time.
There is, however, one big difference: Whalen, who begins her 15th WNBA season when training camp opens Sunday with the Lynx, was "probably born to be a coach," Staley said.
"I never wanted to be a coach," said Staley, in her 10th season at South Carolina. "Obviously, I think it's a lot different for Lindsay."
Staley has overcome her coaching reservations quite well. Her résumé includes 13 NCAA tournaments, including two Final Fours and the 2017 national championship, in 18 seasons.
"I'd say she's been pretty successful," Whalen said of Staley, who for six years did double duty as a WNBA point guard and college coach (Temple) from 2000-2006.
For Staley, coaching success started with finding a top assistant, one who could basically run the program with Staley's same vision while she played. The hiring of Lisa Boyer as her associate head coach in 2002 was Staley's big get. Boyer, still with Staley at South Carolina, had valuable coaching and administrative experience, and together they led the Owls to five consecutive NCAA tourneys.
"The most important thing for Lindsay is she's got to get a great staff that will allow her to grow at the pace she needs to grow," Staley said. "Not think she's a figure head. My interaction with Lindsay is she's an incredible basketball mind. She understands how she wants to do things. She just needs someone to do all the administrative work to keep her focused on the right things."
Whalen, 35, has since hired former Gophers teammate and Macalester head coach Kelly Roysland and Mississippi State assistant Carly Thibault-DuDonis to be the first two assistants on her staff.
One advantage for Whalen that Staley didn't have is that Williams Arena is only a few miles away from the Lynx practice facility in downtown Minneapolis. Staley, a Philadelphia native, coached at Temple but played in Charlotte and Houston.
"It's definitely a very big job and there are a lot of responsibilities," Whalen said. "I'll be at practices and then I'll be able to do all my responsibilities that I'll need to do. … With the staff we'll put together, we'll be in touch every day."...
http://www.startribune.com/lindsay-...n-dawn-staley-as-lynx-season-nears/481075701/
WHALEN BALANCING ACT BEGINS
Yes, it was capitalized in bold.
"The Dawn Staley comparisons were immediate when Lindsay Whalen was hired as the Gophers women's basketball coach. Both were college and WNBA stars. Both had Olympic gold medals. And both still ran the point for a WNBA team the day they became a big-time college basketball head coach for the first time.
There is, however, one big difference: Whalen, who begins her 15th WNBA season when training camp opens Sunday with the Lynx, was "probably born to be a coach," Staley said.
"I never wanted to be a coach," said Staley, in her 10th season at South Carolina. "Obviously, I think it's a lot different for Lindsay."
Staley has overcome her coaching reservations quite well. Her résumé includes 13 NCAA tournaments, including two Final Fours and the 2017 national championship, in 18 seasons.
"I'd say she's been pretty successful," Whalen said of Staley, who for six years did double duty as a WNBA point guard and college coach (Temple) from 2000-2006.
For Staley, coaching success started with finding a top assistant, one who could basically run the program with Staley's same vision while she played. The hiring of Lisa Boyer as her associate head coach in 2002 was Staley's big get. Boyer, still with Staley at South Carolina, had valuable coaching and administrative experience, and together they led the Owls to five consecutive NCAA tourneys.
"The most important thing for Lindsay is she's got to get a great staff that will allow her to grow at the pace she needs to grow," Staley said. "Not think she's a figure head. My interaction with Lindsay is she's an incredible basketball mind. She understands how she wants to do things. She just needs someone to do all the administrative work to keep her focused on the right things."
Whalen, 35, has since hired former Gophers teammate and Macalester head coach Kelly Roysland and Mississippi State assistant Carly Thibault-DuDonis to be the first two assistants on her staff.
One advantage for Whalen that Staley didn't have is that Williams Arena is only a few miles away from the Lynx practice facility in downtown Minneapolis. Staley, a Philadelphia native, coached at Temple but played in Charlotte and Houston.
"It's definitely a very big job and there are a lot of responsibilities," Whalen said. "I'll be at practices and then I'll be able to do all my responsibilities that I'll need to do. … With the staff we'll put together, we'll be in touch every day."...
http://www.startribune.com/lindsay-...n-dawn-staley-as-lynx-season-nears/481075701/
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