Minnesota Lynx All-25 Team: Part V

The Minnesota Lynx are recognizing players as part of the All-25 Team in Lynx history in honor of the franchise’s 25th season. Here’s a look at the final five who made the team.

By MitchellHansen@M_Hansen13 Apr 4, 2023, 8:00am CDT

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Lynx starters left to right Lindsay Whalen, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, Seimone Augustus, and Rebekkah Brunson with head coach Cheryl Reeve at Mayo Clinic Square Thursday September 21,2017 in Minneapolis , MN. ] JERRY HOLT ‚Ä¢ jerry.holt@startribune.com

With the 2023 season marking the 25th anniversary of the inception of the Minnesota Lynx, the organization is honoring that milestone by recognizing the top 25 players throughout franchise history before the new year begins.

Starting at the beginning of March, Minnesota began highlighting five players each week as part of the All-25 Team followed by a social media campaign noting their contributions to the Lynx franchise on the court and off.

To be qualified for the Lynx All-25 Team, the honor is strictly statistical and award-based, with the list being comprised of players who have scored more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, started over 50 games, were members of two or more WNBA Championship teams, represented Minnesota in the WNBA All-Star Game or were end-of-season WNBA award winners while playing for the Lynx.

Last week, in the announcement of the fourth All-25 players, Svetlana Abrosimova, Napheesa Collier, Nicole Ohlde, Katie Smith and Candice Wiggins joined the first round, second round and third round of players to bring the total to 20 Lynx.

This week, the Lynx announced the final set of players who round out the All-25 Team. Here’s a look at who made this week’s list.

the final set of five.

5️⃣ » https://t.co/yiShNiNTpz pic.twitter.com/j1lXuyPsqE
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) April 3, 2023

Lindsay Whalen

First up on the list of final five players is 2022 Hall of Fame inductee Lindsay Whalen, who suited up for her hometown team from 2010-18 while helping the Lynx to four WNBA titles. The point guard entered the WNBA in 2004 out of the University of Minnesota as the fourth overall pick by the Connecticut Sun before calling it a career in 2018.

After six seasons in Connecticut, where she tallied one All-Star selection, Whalen was traded to the Lynx in 2010 to return home while joining new head coach Cheryl Reeve and company in Minnesota. Whalen went on to notch four All-Star appearances in a Lynx uniform over nine seasons with the Lynx, with her best season taking place in 2013 when she posted a career-high 14.9 points, 5.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds over 34 games.

Whalen, who was the first Lynx player to have her number retired by the franchise, ended her time in Minnesota with career averages of 11.4 points, 4.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds over 283 games. By the end of her career in 2018, the Hutchinson native recorded two All-WNBA First Team selections, two All-WNBA Second Team nods, two Olympic Gold Medals, two FIBA World Cup Gold Medals and remains as the Lynx’s all-time assist leader (1,384).

Maya Moore

Next up to make the All-25 Team is future Hall of Famer and a player who will soon have her number retired by the Lynx, Maya Moore. Moore, who was one of the faces of the WNBA during her playing days, spent the entirety of her career in Minnesota after being draft by the Lynx first overall in 2011 out of UConn.

Moore took over the WNBA right away as a rookie to carry on her success from the college game, averaging 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals as a rookie en route to her first All-Star selection and the 2011 Rookie of the Year award. Her best season as a pro game in 2014 when the all-time great averaged career-highs of 23.9 points and 8.1 rebounds along with 3.4 assists and 1.9 steals in 34 games.

Moore last stepped on the court in 2018, later stepping away from the game to focus on social justice issues before officially retiring in January. Over her legendary eight-year career, Moore averaged 18.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assist and 1.7 steals in 271 games. In just eight years, she tallied four WNBA titles, six All-Star appearances, five All-WNBA First Team selections, two All-WNBA Second Team honors, two Olympic Gold Medals and two FIBA World Cup Gold Medals.

Seimone Augustus

Money Mone ... enough said.

One of the greatest players in Lynx history is next up on the list of all-time great players in franchise history, spending 14 of her 15 WNBA seasons in Minnesota from 2006-19 before calling it a career after the 2020 campaign. Augustus was drafted by the Lynx out of LSU with the first overall pick in the 2006 draft, quickly becoming the new face of the franchise as a rookie.

In her first season with Minnesota, Augustus averaged 21.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists en route to winning 2006 Rookie of the Year while earning the first of eight All-Star selections she would earn over her career. Augustus’ best season in a Lynx uniform came in 2007 in her second season when she averaged a career-high 22.6 points, four rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals in her second straight All-Star campaign.

Augustus’ time in Minnesota concluded after the 2019 season when she left the Lynx to join the Los Angeles Sparks in free agency, rounding out her career in Los Angeles after one year. In 14 seasons with the Lynx, Money Mone posted 15.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists over 370 games. Oh, and she added four WNBA titles, five All-WNBA Second Team honors, three Olympic Gold Medals and two FIBA medals while holding the Lynx all-time record in playoff games played (57).

Rebekkah Brunson

Next up on the list of final five players to make the All-25 Team is The Machine, Rebekkah Brunson. Brunson entered the WNBA in 2004 as the 10th overall pick by the Sacramento Monarchs out of Georgetown, spending six seasons in Sacramento before playing in Minnesota from 2010-18 until retiring.

After starting her career in Sacramento, Brunson was acquired by Minnesota in 2009 as part of the WNBA dispersal draft, becoming a key part to four WNBA championship teams with the Lynx. Her best season in Minnesota came in 2010 when she averaged a double-double of 11.3 points and 10.3 rebounds along with 1.2 steals and one block over 30 games.

Brunson last played in the WNBA in 2018 while averaging 9.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and one steal over 15 WNBA seasons, later joining the Lynx as an assistant coach after retiring in 2020. As the only player in league history to have five WNBA titles, Brunson averaged 9.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and one steal over 261 games and nine seasons in Minnesota.

One of three players to have a jersey retired and hung in the Target Center rafters, Brunson rounded out her career with four All-Star nods, five All-Defensive Team selections, and is the Lynx all-time leader in offensive rebounds (688) and rebounds in the playoffs (451).

Sylvia Fowles

Sweet Syl, Mama Syl, Baby Shaq, whatever you want to call her, center Sylvia Fowles is the final player to round out the list of all-time greatest Lynx players and will soon see her number and jersey retired by Minnesota. Fowles spent eight seasons with the Lynx from 2015-22, retiring after one final ride last summer. Fowles entered the WNBA in 2008 as the second overall pick by Chicago out of LSU.

Fowles arrived in Minnesota in 2015 as part of a three-team trade with the Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream, immediately becoming a focal point on a Lynx team that ended up winning two WNBA titles with Fowles on the roster. Fowles’ best season in Minnesota came during her MVP season in 2017 when she averaged 18.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, two blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 34 games.

With the Lynx, Fowles averaged 15.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals over 222 games. In her 15-year career, she averaged 15.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.2 steals and 1.1 assists in 408 games.

In her time with Minnesota, Fowles managed to record two Finals MVP awards, five All-Star selections, two Defensive Player of the Year honors, four All-WNBA Team nods and five All-Defensive Team selections while remaining as the Lynx all-time leader in rebounds (2,174), defensive rebounds (1,552), blocks (345), field goal percentage (61 percent), double-doubles (101), blocks in the playoffs (51) and playoff field goal percentage (61.1 percent).