Gophers extend Whalen’s contract into 2025

Minnesota basketball legend and University of Minnesota women’s basketball coach Lindsay Whalen will continue leading the program for at least a few more years.

The university on Friday announced that Whalen agreed to a contract extension into 2025.

Whalen, a 2022 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalist, has coached the Gophers since 2018. In her four seasons at the helm, Minnesota has gone 59-55 with one trip to the WNIT. She’s also coached one WNBA draft pick, one All-American, 11 All-Big Ten honorees and 18 Academic All-Big Ten student-athletes.

The Gophers finished this season 14-17 overall, 7-11 in conference play — coming in 10th in the conference standings — and lost in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament to Northwestern.

Despite the struggles on the court this season, Minnesota is set to welcome the No. 10-ranked class of recruits in the nation, according to ESPN rankings. The class, comprised entirely of Minnesotans, includes Wayzata’s Mara Braun, Chaska’s Mallory Heyer, Hopkins’s Amaya Battle and Eden Prairie’s Nia Holloway. All four were nominees for the McDonald’s All-American game.