Most Lynx fans were probably not surprised by the team's No. 1 pick Monday in the 2011 WNBA Draft.
University of Connecticut all-star Maya Moore is expected to become the face of the franchise, if not the league. But a couple late-round acquisitions will bring two Minnesota high school natives back home to play professional ball.
Angel Robinson
Angel Robinson – a 5-foot-8 guard out of Marquette – and Kachine Alexander – a 5-foot-9 guard out of Iowa – both graduated from Metro schools.
Robinson, drafted No. 22 overall by New York, was traded to the Lynx during the Draft. Robinson averaged 13.6 points and 4.8 assists per game as a senior. She is a graduate of St. Paul Central.
Robinson was named the 2007 Minnesota Miss Basketball after averaging 16.3 points per game and leading Central to the Class 4A state championship.
Kachine Alexander
Kachine Alexander was drafted by Minnesota in the fifth round – No. 26 overall.
A Benilde-St Margaret's graduate, Alexander is known for her ability to pull down rebounds despite her size. She was named to the all-Big Ten first team and the conference all-defensive team twice.
Alexander was a finalist for the 2007 Miss Basketball honor and led Benilde to the 2006 Class 3A state championship, earning her the tournament's MVP honor her junior year.
MAYA MOORE • 6-0 FORWARD • CONNECTICUT
• A four-time All-America, Moore can play both guard and forward. She won the Wade Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in college three times. During her college career, the Huskies went 150-4 and won two national titles, losing in the semis this season. Moore's father, Mike Dabney, helped Rutgers to the 1976 Final Four.
AMBER HARRIS • 6-5 FORWARD • XAVIER
• No. 4 overall pick.
• Rated No. 1 college prospect nationally out of high school.
• Averaged 18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds as a senior.
• First in blocked shots (72) in Atlantic 10 Conference as senior, second in rebounding, third in scoring.
RACHEL JARRY • 6-1 FORWARD • BULLEEN
• No. 18 overall pick by Atlanta, traded to Lynx.
• Averaged 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds for Bulleen Boomers, champions of Women's National Basketball League in Australia. Not expected to join the WNBA until 2013.
• Only 19 years old.
– Star Tribune
NAME | TEAM | POS. | HT. | WT. | D.O.B. | YEARS | HIGH SCHOOL | COLLEGE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lindsay Whalen | G | 5'9" | 169 | May 9, 1982 | 6 | Hutchinson | Minnesota |