Terms of the deal were not announced, but the team announced at a press conference Thursday that Whalen signed a contract that will keep her in  a Minnesota Lynx uniform for a while. For Whalen, the opportunity to play in her home state was too much to pass up and she wanted to get an extension done as soon as possible. For the team – which is in the middle of a playoff push – Lindsay’s combination of skill and home-state popularity was attractive enough to offer long term security.

Last week Whalen was named the Western Conference Player of the Week after starring in a reunion game that brough the 2004 Final Four team back together for the first time since their memorable run.

Whalen returned home to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade in January that sent the No. 1 overall pick and Renee Montgomery to Connecticut in exchange for Whalen and the No. 2 pick.

The Lynx, who are without star center Candace Wiggins for the remainder of the year, continue to battle for the final playoff spot as the WNBA season wraps up.