Lynx Whalen earns Peak Performer Honor

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The WNBA today announced that Minnesota Lynx point guard Lindsay Whalen has earned the 2012 Peak Performer honor for assists. She becomes the second player in Lynx history to win a Peak Performer award, previously earning the honor last season by dishing out a career-high 5.9 assists per game and 199 assists. The Peak Performer award is handed out annually to the players who lead the league in scoring, rebounding and assists during the regular season. Whalen will receive a Tiffany trophy awarded to her by the WNBA in honor of her achievement.

Whalen finished the season ranking first in the WNBA in both total assists (178) and assists per game (5.39 apg), barely edging Sue Bird (5.34 apg) in the category. Whalen handed out five or more assists in 22 of 33 games this season, leading the Lynx to a WNBA-best 27-7 record. In her nine seasons in the WNBA, Whalen-led squads have finished with the league’s best regular-season record on four occasions, including winning the WNBA Championship last year.

Highlights of Whalen’s season include:

• May 30 at Washington: She dished out seven assists and scored 11 points, including a putback with just one second remaining to give Minnesota a 79-77 win over the Mystics.
• June 9 at Tulsa: Dished out a season-high 10 assists against Tulsa, helping propel the Lynx to a 93-73 win over the Shock.
• June 15 at Phoenix: Whalen scored a season-high 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting, leading the Lynx to a 78-60 victory over the Mercury. The win improved Minnesota to 10-0, becoming the first team in WNBA history to start a season 10-0.
• June 23 vs. Chicago: Scored 25 points, dished out eight assists and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Minnesota to a 79-67 win over the Sky during the team’s Title IX game on ESPN.
• August 18 vs. Tulsa: Dished out four assists to move atop the Lynx’ career leaderboard, surpassing Katie Smith (496). Whalen finished the season with 561 assists in a Lynx uniform.
• Sept. 14 at Indiana: Hit her second buzzer beater of the season against the Fever, draining a 10-foot jumper with just 1.6 seconds remaining to give the Lynx a 66-64 win. Whalen has three of Minnesota’s seven all-time buzzer beaters in franchise history.