“This is pretty incredible,” Fowles told the crowd as she looked up into the rafters of Target Center. She saw the banner with her name and number unveiled alongside those of Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson. “There’s no better feeling than being up there with The Mayor (Whalen), The Sniper (Augustus) and The Machine (Brunson).”
She waited until she was assured of the applause and laughter of the crowd and her former teammates. Then she looked over at Maya Moore, who was sitting on the court between the Lynx legends, and added: “The Assassin is coming soon.”
“Coming soon” meant that it was just over a year ago. On Saturday night, Moore’s No. 23 will be hung in the rafters at Target Center alongside the rest of the famous starting lineup from Minnesota’s 2010s dynasty after the Lynx’s game against the Indiana Fever.
The Next, a 24/7/365 newsroom for women’s basketball
The Next: A basketball newsroom from The IX. 24/7 coverage of women’s basketball, 365 days a year, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse team and focused on breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and predictions for the game we love.
On Friday evening, the first part of these back-to-back celebrations featured a ceremony honoring Augustus and Taj McWilliams-Franklin on the occasion of their induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
As befits a franchise that takes honoring its legends seriously, Lynx players and leadership were unaware of the magnitude of this multi-day celebration.
“The older I get, the more I recognize things,” Cheryl Reeve, Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations, told reporters before Friday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces. “Sometimes when you’re in the middle of something, you’re just on to the next thing or you don’t take the time. I’ve gotten to the age where I’ve had enough experience to recognize how special these things are.”
“I hope it’s something very special for the fans. The recognition of these three tonight and then of course the fact that the last jersey of this group is going up in the air, I know the significance of that. I’m just happy that we get the chance to be together again and reminisce and of course that our fans know for sure that Maya is not coming back (laughs).”
While playing at Notre Dame in nearby South Bend, Indiana, current Lynx co-captain Kayla McBride was present at one of the most legendary moments in Moore’s career when she made the game-winning three-pointer as the final buzzer sounded in Game 3 of the 2015 WNBA Finals.
“Right behind the bench, the Indy bench,” McBride told reporters after practice on Aug. 12. “Yeah, I remember that shot. Everything was silent. And to see it live, unbelievable.”
McBride also talked about playing against Moore when McBride came to the WNBA.
“My ‘welcome to the WNBA’ moment was Maya,” McBride said. “Just defending her. Her aura in general. I played in San Antonio and on my birthday we always seemed to be playing here. It’s her aura and what she represented to us as defenders, as shooting guards. Her ability to score at an incredible rate on all three levels. It was just an aura.”
“I’m happy to be here. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to come here, because of all these great players when I was promoted.”
Get 24/7 football coverage with The Equalizer
The Next is partnering with The Equalizer to bring more women’s sport stories to your inbox. Subscribers to The Next will receive 50% off their subscription to The Equalizer for 24/7 coverage of women’s football.
“It’s huge,” guard Courtney Williams told reporters of the weekend’s events after Friday’s shootaround. “Obviously, we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them. They’ve done some incredible things. It’s just a blessing to be a part of it and to be here.”
Not only is this a great honor for the players who will wear the same jersey Moore wore during eight magical seasons in Minnesota, but Minnesota’s opponents, who have idolized Moore for years, have also expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to play in the game that honors her. That includes a certain rookie from West Des Moines, Iowa.
“I was so excited when I saw that this was the game they were going to do it at,” Indiana rookie and childhood Lynx fan Caitlin Clark said before her first game at Target Center on July 14. “She deserves it. I know the fans are going to be absolutely incredible. If you would have told me as a young kid that I would be playing in the game where her jersey gets retired, it’s come full circle for me.
“She was my favorite player growing up. I loved watching her and she’s still like my LeBron James. Just being in the building that night and being able to say I got to play in that game is super cool.”
Want more women’s sports in your inbox?
Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX and receive our independent women’s sport newsletter six days a week. Learn about your favourite athletes and teams from around the world competing in football, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.
Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.
It doesn’t hurt that the Lynx are playing some pretty fantastic basketball on Saturday. They’ve won five games in a row and four since the end of the Olympic break, and the last three games have featured some of the strongest offense we’ve seen this season. Thanks to that streak, the Lynx are now just a half-game behind the Connecticut Sun for second place in the WNBA standings.
Related content: Locked On Women’s Basketball: Update on Minnesota Lynx
Friday’s win featured a legendary performance worthy of an event honoring Lynx legends. In an 87-74 win over the defending champion Aces, Napheesa Collier grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds – enough to pull in more rebounds than the entire Aces team – and finished with 27 points, five assists and two steals on 73.3% shooting from the field.
She is, along with Moore, the only player in Lynx history to have at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two steals, according to Lynx PR.
“When we move like that, it’s the most entertaining basketball I’ve ever played,” Collier said of the team’s recent performance. “It’s been incredible to be a part of, and I feel like we’re peaking at just the right time.”
Night 1 of the doubleheader ended with Minnesota’s current franchise player talking about winning for the team. It was the perfect ending to a night that began with Moore addressing the Lynx faithful during the pregame ceremony honoring Minnesota’s most recent class of Hall of Famer.
“Lynx family! Man, it feels good to be back,” Moore said. “As the baby of the Rafter Crew, I’m honored again to have the privilege… of being drafted in 2011. I had no control over that. I was just lucky enough to be able to get on a team with mom Taj and Seimone and Lindsay and Rebekkah and later Syl.”
“So let’s just soak up this gratitude and enjoy these 48 hours. Love you guys!”
Order “Rare Gems” and save 30%
Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The Next and The IX, released his next book on May 7, 2024. This thoroughly researched history follows four interconnected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.
If you enjoy his coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday on The IX, you’ll love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.” Click the link below to order and enter MEGDAL30 at the checkout.
