When Paige Bueckers and UConn arrive, call it ‘the Lindsay Whalen Game’

The Gophers have a game against the famous UConn women’s basketball team this Sunday at Williams Arena. The absence of Lindsay Whalen which is unfortunate, could grant her the claim of being the inspiration behind the game and many of the players.

Last March, when Whalen was compelled to resign and Mark Coyle, the athletic director, was recommended Dawn Plitzuweit as her replacement by Whalen. This was perhaps the last civil conversation they had. “Hire Dawn” were her final words.

In spite of leaving the Gophers athletic department, Whalen was still adamant about finding a quality replacement as she cared deeply about the players she recruited to Minnesota.

Her star recruits will be going up against Paige Bueckers, the most accomplished basketball player from Minnesota since Whalen – of the UConn team, who had Whalen’s poster in her bedroom during her time at Hopkins.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma has been recruiting Bueckers since she was young, and there are insiders in the Gophers program who believe that had Whalen retired early to coach the Gophers, she would have been the only one who could have kept Bueckers from joining UConn.

Whalen’s career concluded in a loss to UConn in the Final Four, making it possibly the most influential career in Gophers basketball history. Whalen would later meet Auriemma again.

After playing for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA, she became skilled enough to be chosen as the backup point guard, behind UConn legend Sue Bird, on the USA teams that won gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

Whalen and Auriemma’s relationship and Auriemma’s wish to give Bueckers a homecoming game were the reasons for UConn to travel across the country.

Due to Whalen’s brilliance in transforming the Gophers program during her playing career, her team performed well, leading to sold-out games at Williams Arena, after they had been relegated to the small Pavillion.

Disappointed and heartbroken by her dismissal, Whalen has not been seen at her former team’s games this season, having received a buyout from the athletic department.

Plitzuweit hopes Whalen will be present, seeking advice from her, thereby showing respect to Whalen’s impactful contributions to Minnesota women’s basketball.

Their conversations mainly revolve around the oddity of coaching on a raised floor. Plitzuweitz wants to inquire about stances and other advice from Whalen.

The significance of this game for Midwestern women’s basketball is debatable, it could be a defining moment or a game that creates momentum, possibly even both.

The Gophers show promise due to Whalen’s recruits and Plitzuweit’s expertise. Five out of ten expected starters are from Minnesota and two players coming off the bench are also natives.

The best player in the country, if not Bueckers, is an Iowa kid – Caitlin Clark, playing for Iowa.

Despite last season’s struggles, the Gophers won’t be overawed on Sunday. Many of them were fans at Williams Arena watching Whalen play, and their notable opponent, Bueckers, is someone several of them played against in high school.

In the Class 4A, Section 6 section championship game on March 5, 2020, Wayzata and Mara Braun faced Hopkins and Bueckers. Hopkins emerged victorious, 86-76, in a game featuring 10 future Division I scholarship players.

Bueckers, who has faced knee injuries in her career, reached out to Gophers forward Nia Holloway when Holloway suffered a similar injury last season.

“I think it’s just going to be great to be in the building in this kind of a game,” Holloway said.

The possibility of Whalen being present to see her legacy will motivate the players.