MN Lynx: Gotta See 'em, Gotta Love 'em

There is a professional team in Minnesota that currently holds a record of 5-1, has back-to-back Western Conference Championships and was League Champion in 2011, but somehow is barely featured on national sporting websites or even our local ESPN website, and is only starting to get the recognition it deserves from the local newspaper. The team I am referring to is Minnesota’s WNBA franchise, the Lynx. This is a team loaded with talent and is led by arguably the best coach in the league, but since it is not one of the big four sports (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA) it is not known or given the respect it deserves. In this post I am hoping to convince you to at least attend one game, because in my experience, that was enough to get me hooked.

I am going to be honest right off the bat, my family has season tickets to the Lynx so I am a little biased, but you could also say I am very knowledgeable on the subject. Our love for the Lynx started two years ago when the Lynx were on their first playoff run since 2004. I had taken notice on how good they were playing and since I was a huge fan of Seimone Augustus, I decided to attend a game with some of my friends towards the end of the regular season and I had a blast!

There is something about attending a WNBA game when the team is as dynamic and thrilling to watch as the Lynx, though there are probably only 9,000 fans on average night. Size does not matter because the fans are there for their team: representing, getting loud, and always having their heads in the game. And as I said earlier, since this is a WNBA game there are fewer annoying, unoriginal, promotional gimmicks or TV time-outs so the focus is on the wonderful/exhilarating game play and the funny antics of B-Rod and Prowl. Now I mention them because they are a huge part in the experience as well, interacting with the crowd, leading sing-alongs, putting on crazy competitions, and always knowing the right thing to say to get the crowd pumped up. You can tell that they care about this team as much as you do, and they are given the full opportunity to share that passion and it is infectious!

After having that first experience, I convinced my parents to go to the first round of the 2011 playoffs when I was home for my birthday. After that game my parents were hooked. They went to every playoff game and the season ended in a WNBA championshi which they were so proud to be a part of. After that they signed up for season tickets immediately and the rest is history. My dad has a huge crush on Lindsay Whalen, both parents own tons of Lynx gear, and the season never arrives soon enough.

This is a franchise run right: they have great players, great coaching, great customer service, great entertainment, are a proven winner, and really just play the game the right way. So if you need a break from or don't like baseball, want a place to go with friends and family of all ages, and are looking for a good time that doesn't break the bank, I would recommend checking out at least one Lynx game this summer.

For more info on ticket sales check out: http://www.wnba.com/lynx/index_main.html
- With your Metro ID you would be able to go for $5 on weeknights

And here is one final pitch: what is not to love about a team that has their mascot kick the other team’s mascot in the crotch as a playoff promotion?