Gov. Dayton hosts Lynx for victory reception

The governor welcomed the WNBA champions to his home Friday morning.

October 7, 2017 at 4:51AM
Lynx players and staff flashed four fingers for their four championship wins as they posed with Gov. Mark Dayton and Lt. Gov. Tina Smith in front of the Governor's mansion after a celebratory reception in St. Paul, Minn. on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017.
Lynx players and staff flashed four fingers for their four championship wins as they posed with Gov. Mark Dayton and Lt. Gov. Tina Smith in front of the Governor's mansion after a celebratory reception in St. Paul, Minn. on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. (Rachel Chazin — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The morning after their victory parade through Minneapolis, the Minnesota Lynx checked off another stop on their WNBA-champion victory tour: an official reception at the governor's residence.

Gov. Mark Dayton, wearing a gray Lynx T-shirt, greeted the team at the door along with Lt. Gov. Tina Smith. He offered up handshakes, fist bumps and hugs, heartily congratulating the players and joking that they should leave their handprints in the sidewalk being poured outside the house.

Some of the team's players, including Seimone Augustus, carried championship trophies into the governor's residence to applause from a crowd of the governor's staff members and some members of the Minnesota Legislature.

"Congratulations, wow!" Dayton exclaimed, as he hugged coach Cheryl Reeve. "That's phenomenal!"

Dayton, a vocal fan of the Lynx, attended the first game of the championship series and was also in the crowd Wednesday evening as the Lynx topped the Los Angeles Sparks to win their fourth WNBA title in seven years. The governor has previously hosted victory receptions in the other years the Lynx took the league's top honors.

Erin Golden • 612-673-4790

about the writer

Erin Golden

Cities team leader

Erin Golden is a cities team leader at the Star Tribune, working with reporters who cover Minneapolis, Hennepin County and metro suburbs. She was previously a reporter at the Star Tribune and other newspapers covering topics ranging from state politics to education to business. 

See More