Swanny’s Stats

The official Minnesota Lynx Statistician Blog

The 2006 season has finally arrived, as the Lynx open training camp on Sunday, April 23 at 4 p.m.

It was a very eventful off season here in Minnesota. It started with the free agent signing of Adrian Williams, continued with our run at Coco Miller, which didn't quite work out, and reached it's peak with an exciting draft day with the drafting of Seimone Augustus and Shona Thorburn in the first round. We have also added Jess Strom, Megan Duffy, Ambrosia Anderson, and Brittany Davis, in addition to re-signing Tynesha Lewis.

We also say thanks to Amanda Lassiter, Jackie Batteast, and Stacey Thomas and wish them all luck with their new teams. Also, I would like to say welcome to our new assistant coach Susan Yow and thanks to Nancy Darsch for her contributions as an assistant coach and look forward to her contributions in her new role as an advance scout for the team.

While we currently have 17 players on our roster, we are only expecting 15 people in training camp and plan to start the season with a 12 player roster. Fortunately, everyone also seems to be in pretty good health coming in. The only medical issues we have to work with are two ankle sprains - Chandi and Shona- but we are not expecting those to be much of an issue. In case you are not aware, this year we do not have an injured list, we have an inactive list. That means a player does not have to be injured to stay on the roster and it also means we can change which 11 players are dressed from game to game, rather than in three game sets.

Our players are very excited to get the season started with hopes of getting back to the playoffs and beyond. Chandi, Svetlana, Kristen, Adrian Tynesha, and Nicole all spent time playing overseas, in the NWBL, or with USA Basketball getting ready for this season. We have a young talented team that is going to be very exciting to watch play this summer.

We look forward to seeing all of you at Target Center this summer.

...to the captain, Tamika Williams.

Team USA improved to 3-0 in the Opals World Challenge by defeating China, 87-53, on Monday afternoon (Sunday night, Twin Cities time) in Canberra, Australia. After a hectic two days of travel, Seimone Augustus made her debut with the Women's Senior National Team by scoring 11 points with three rebounds, three assists and four steals. The teams were tied 15-15 after one quarter, but Augustus helped spark a 30-12 second period that broke the game open. Candace Parker lead Team USA with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Tina Thompson finished with 14 points and a dozen boards. Action continues on Tuesday when the American side takes on Chinese Taipei at 3:00 a.m. (Central Time), and wraps up with a rematch against the host Australians on Wednesday at 5:00 a.m.

Augustus also earned more honors over the weekend for her accomplishments at LSU, being named the winner of the Naismith Award on Friday night in Atlanta and picking up the Wooden Award on Saturday in Los Angeles. Seimone's parents, Kim and Seymore, accepted the trophies on her behalf. Having also been selected for both awards following her junior season, Augustus adds her name to an elite list of players who've won multiple Naismiths: Cheryl Miller, Clarissa Davis, Dawn Staley, Chamique Holdsclaw and Diana Taurasi. Meanwhile, she joins Ralph Sampson as the only players -- male or female -- with more than one Wooden Award.

Hometown Voices:

Seimone Augustus
Baton Rouge Advocate: Minnesota makes Augustus top pick
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Lynx makes Augustus WNBA's top pick
The Daily Reveille: Top Tigers
LSUsports.net: First-Round Bookends: Augustus No. 1 in WNBA Draft; Hoston 14th

Shona Thorburn
Salt Lake Tribune: WNBA Draft: Utes go in first round
Deseret News: Thorburn, Smith make history with first-round WNBA picks
Hamilton Spectator: Westdale's Shona Thorburn drafted to pro league
Hamilton Spectator: Shona Thorburn's 'long journey'
Toronto Star: WNBA looks north
SLAM! Sports: Thorburn, Smith make history
UtahUtes.com: Thorburn, Smith Selected in First Round of WNBA Draft

Ambrosia Anderson
Provo Daily Herald: Anderson taken 17th in WNBA draft
Deseret News: Cougar forward fulfills dream
BYUCougars.com: Anderson Chosen By WNBA's Minnesota Lynx

Megan Duffy
South Bend Tribune: Duffy headed to Lynx
Dayton Daily News: Williams welcomes fellow C-J grad Duffy to WNBA
UND.com: Megan Duffy Chosen In 2006 WNBA Draft

Twin Cities Voices:

Pam Schmid, Star Tribune
Tim Leighton, St. Paul Pioneer Press

National Voices:

Mechelle Voepel, ESPN.com
Graham Hays, ESPN.com
Oscar Dixon, USA Today
John Eligon, New York Times
Mechelle Voepel, Kansas City Star
Mark Bergin, Seattle Post-Intelligencer