The perfect match
Former UConn star Dangerfield is thriving with Lynx
Crystal Dangerfield, gifted as she may be, didn’t expect to play big minutes as a rookie with the Minnesota Lynx. The plan, at least initially, was the same as it was for many other second-round picks in the WNBA: watch, learn, and grow.
It didn’t even take one game, though, for that to change. Dangerfield — selected 16th overall out of UConn — announced her arrival in her first career game, contributing 10 points in 20 minutes off the bench in a come-from-behind victory over the Connecticut Sun.
“That’s what UConn players do,” Lynx head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve said afterward. “She’s ready, she’s confident.”
It’s precisely why Reeve took a chance on her when other teams didn’t. While some questioned whether Dangerfield, a star point guard under Geno Auriemma, was big enough or durable enough to survive the daily grind of pro ball, Reeve was not among them.
Reeve saw her as a prototypical Husky — a “plug-and-play” player, she calls them — and believed, at minimum, she’d develop into a steady backup point guard in the league.
But Dangerfield, in just her first season, has proved to be more than that. She’s already in a class by herself: the first player drafted in the second round or later in league history to win Rookie of the Year. She ran away with the award, receiving 44 of a possible 47 votes.
Dangerfield — the sixth Husky to take home the honor, following Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and current Lynx teammate Napheesa Collier — ranked second among rookies and 11th overall in scoring at 16.2 points per game while start
ing 19 of 21 games. She also averaged 3.6 assists.
“Rookie year will definitely be a year I will not forget, along with being in the bubble,” said Dangerfield, 22, during a phone interview between Games 1 and 2 of the WNBA semifinals against Seattle, a series Minnesota trails 2-0. “Having to be mentally, physically, emotionally sharp every day, as best I can — we’re doing a lot here.”
As a Husky, Dangerfield was thrust under the microscope. Every loss was dissected and every misstep was magnified. And the later it became in her career, the more pressure she put on herself to win, injuries and all.
Yet even Dangerfield — whose college career ended prematurely when the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic — couldn’t have foreseen this. As systemic racism and social injustice have risen to the forefront of America’s conversation in this election year, the WNBA has made a concerted effort to push for change.
“It would be very easy for myself and the rest of the team to feel drained at this point,” Dangerfield said. “There are some (players on other teams) that have already gotten on their flights and gone overseas. It’s been a lot.”
Dangerfield, for the record, has different plans for the offseason. She intends to head back home to Tennessee — “I don’t think I can handle Minnesota winters just yet,” she joked — to rest and get her body healthy. Until then, she’ll continue playing through some minor ailments, as she prides herself on being tough.
“I’m good to play, and that’s all that matters,” Dangerfield said. “Everyone’s dealing with something. You have to dig deep and push past whatever’s bothering you.”
That mindset, developed over time, went a long way with Auriemma. The Hall of Fame coach used to compare her to a track star who “If things weren’t exactly right she wasn’t playing, she wasn’t practicing.”
But ultimately Dangerfield evolved into someone Auriemma could trust, particularly in big moments. Never was that more the case than in the 2019 Sweet 16, when Dangerfield rebounded from a scoreless first half to drop 15 points in a 69-61 victory over UCLA.
It’s been no different with the Lynx. Dangerfield has been practically indispensable in the clutch, averaging the second-most points in the league (6.5) in the fourth quarter during the regular season.
“That comes with a confidence that she has,” Auriemma said. “There were not a lot of opportunities for her to do that at UConn. We weren’t in that situation very often, but if you think back a couple years ago in that UCLA game where she had the kind of fourth quarter that she’s been having a lot of this summer, I’ve seen it before. I’m glad that she’s gotten the chance to showcase that part of her game.”
It’s no surprise to Collier. “I always knew that Crystal had that in her,” Collier said. “You could see it at UConn. I think she’s really embraced that role on the Lynx. She’s a match for us, and we’re a great match for her.”
As some say, maybe even the perfect match.
“Crystal probably should’ve gone in the first round, but whatever teams’ needs are, sometimes you just don’t get what you think you’re going to get,” Auriemma said. “There were probably a couple guards that went ahead of Crystal that I was surprised, but at the same time, had she been picked up earlier, she might not have ended up in as good a situation as she ended up in.”