Lynx acquire McCarville in three-team trade; Wiggins to Tulsa

Ex-Gophers star Janel McCarville is going to be reunited with college teammate Lindsay Whalen on the Lynx as part of a three-team deal that sends Candice Wiggins to Tulsa.

March 2, 2013 at 2:00AM
Executive Vice President Roger Griffith and former Gopher center Janel McCarville held up her new Lynx jersey as she underlines the name during a press conference at The Depot in Minneapolis on Friday.
Executive Vice President Roger Griffith and former Gopher center Janel McCarville held up her new Lynx jersey as she underlines the name during a press conference at The Depot in Minneapolis on Friday. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Ex-Gophers star Janel McCarville is going to be reunited with college teammate Lindsay Whalen on the Lynx.

The Lynx announced a 4 p.m. press conference to discuss the trade. They released terms of the three-team deal that brings McCarville here.

In the deal, Minnesota sends restricted free-agent guard Candice Wiggins to Tulsa in a sign-and-trade. Tulsa also receives forward Nicole Powell from the Liberty and New York's 2013 third-round pick, while New York receives the rights to guard Deanna Nolan and Tulsa's 2013 third-round pick.

The 6-2 McCarville teamed with Whalen on the 2004 Gophers team that went to the Final Four and led the Whalen-less Gophers back to the Sweet 16 the following year. She was the first overall pick in the 2005 WNBA Draft, selected by the Charlotte Sting.

"I'm very excited to come back to Minnesota and join the Lynx," McCarville said in a press release. "I can't wait to team up with Lindsay again; it's always fun playing alongside a point guard as talented as she is. When you add Seimone, Maya, Rebekkah and the rest of the team, it's going to be a lot of fun this summer. I'm looking forward to doing whatever I can to help bring another championship to Minnesota."

McCarville, 30, is a native of Stevens Point, Wis. She was chosen by the Liberty in the 2007 dispersal draft after the Sting folded. It was there that her WNBA career blossomed. She averaged double-figures in scoring every year from 2007-09, with a high of 13.7 ppg in 2008.

She has not played in the WNBA, however, since 2010. She was suspended by the Liberty for the 2011 season after she didn't report to training camp. In 2012, she announced she was taking the WNBA season off.

She has continued to play professionally in Europe, as many women's players do. This past winter, she played in Turkey, averaging 11.9 points and 8.2 rebounds for Canik Belediyesi.

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In addition to a good PR move for the Lynx -- McCarville was a very popular player when she was with the Gophers -- the acquisition also fills a post need. Taj McWilliams-Franklin turned 42 in October.

Shortly after 1:30, McCarville tweeted this:

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about the writer

Michael Rand

Columnist / Reporter

Michael Rand is the Minnesota Star Tribune's Digital Sports Senior Writer and host/creator of the Daily Delivery podcast. In 25 years covering Minnesota sports at the Minnesota Star Tribune, he has seen just about everything (except, of course, a Vikings Super Bowl).

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