Lynx add 5-time WNBA champ Brunson to coaching staff
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The WNBA’s all-time leader in rebounds retired on Tuesday and is joining the Minnesota Lynx coaching staff.
Lynx Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve announced the addition of Rebekkah Brunson as an assistant coach Tuesday.
Click the video box on this page to watch interviews with Rebekkah Brunson and Cheryl Reeve as they discuss Brunson’s retirement, hiring as a Lynx assistant coach and her pending number retirement by the franchise
With the move, the team also announced Brunson’s No. 32 jersey will be hoisted to the rafters of Target Center at some point this season, making her the second player in franchise history to be honored in that way, following Lindsay Whalen.
"I am excited for the opportunity to continue building the Lynx legacy. I am also thrilled with the idea of having my jersey hang in the rafters next to one of my favorite people, one of my best friends, and one of my favorite players," Brunson said in part in a statement. "All of the work that we did together throughout our time as players here, to hang next to the banners we worked so very hard to earn, will be something that brings me an amazing amount of joy and fulfillment."
Rebekkah Brunson (left) and Cheryl Reeve (right) hold up Brunson's Lynx jersey as they announced both Brunson's retirement and hiring as an assistant coach during a press conference at Target Center on Tuesday, February 11th 2020.[KSTP Sports]
Brunson will assist in the team’s scouting efforts and player development, Reeve said. Brunson joins former Lynx players and WNBA greats Plenette Pierson and Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer Katie Smith on Reeve’s coaching staff.
"We are extremely happy that Rebekkah Brunson, one of the cornerstones of our franchise and the only player in league history with five WNBA Championships, will continue to play a role in the Lynx organization, this time as she begins the next phase of her basketball career," said Reeve. "Rebekkah has been a vital part of our franchise both on and off the court and we are thrilled about her addition to our staff."
Brunson is a record five-time WNBA champion, with her illustrious career spanning 15 seasons between Sacramento and Minnesota. In 453 regular season games, she averaged 9.2 ppg on 46.6% shooting, 7.4 rpg and 1.1 apg. She also appeared in 81 postseason games and a league-record 34 WNBA Finals games, and is the all-time postseason wins leader at 57.
The Lynx acquired Brunson from Sacramento in the dispersal draft in 2009.
Brunson also plays an active role as an analyst on Fox Sports North.