Lindsay Whalen gives her county fair power rankings at Lynx shootaround
Lindsay Whalen gives her county fair power rankings
Minnesota Lynx coach Lindsay Whalen spoke at shootaround Monday morning, and gave her county fair power rankings. She's biased to the McLeod County Fair in her hometown of Hutchinson, and spoke of putting then governor Tim Pawlenty in the dunk tank at the Minnesota State Fair.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Lynx had shootaround Monday ahead of hosting the Golden State Valkyries with a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed in the WNBA Playoffs.
Lindsay Whalen took the microphone during media availability. Before talking any basketball, it’s fair season. The Minnesota State Fair starts Thursday in Falcon Heights, but Whalen gave her own power rankings.
Her response was epic.
Whalen and the McLeod County Fair
What they're saying:
Whalen’s favorite county fair? The answer is predictable: The McLeod County Fair. After all, it’s in her hometown of Hutchinson, where she made basketball cool for young girls wanting to play sports.
"Well off-hand the only one I can think of, which has been ranked the top county fair 10 years in a row is the McLeod County Fair. Great corn dog, really good live music, beer tent. Trying to think of the band, it was Johnny Holms at some point, that’s when I was in high school. A little dunk tank action, I did that one year," Whalen said.
Beltrami County Fair
Local perspective:
Whalen said she has personally never been to the Beltrami County Fair. It’s held in mid-August in Bemidji, and Whalen said she has family in the area.
"I’ve never been but I’ve got family up there and I’ve been up there a lot during the summer, so I think that’s up there. I know where the fair grounds are, big Ferris wheel," Whalen said.
Dunk tank with Tim Pawlenty?
Why you should care:
Whalen said she recalls doing the dunk tank at the McLeod County Fair, but had a more memorable experience at the Minnesota State Fair.
She attended the Great Minnesota Get-Together when Tim Pawlenty was governor. She applied her athletic prowess to the dunk tank.
"Also did the dunk tank at the State Fair when Tim Pawlenty was governor. I threw a strike, so I sent him in," Whalen said.
Whalen also has her share of State Fair memories with the Gophers. As the head women’s basketball coach, she took to the team to the fair one day every year for their favorite foods, and several media appearances.
Whalen still has her dry sense of humor, and appears to be enjoying life in basketball but mostly out of the spotlight.