This story appears in the July 30, 2018, issue of Sports Illustrated. For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine—and get up to 94 off the cover price. Click here for more.
The most Minnesota thing in the history of Minnesota is Lindsay Whalen crossing the Mississippi River beneath the landmark GRAIN BELT beer sign that greets drivers on the Hennepin Avenue Bridge, and saying, in a flat-voweled Minnesota accent that rhymes roof with hoof, “Maybe I’ll have a Grain Belt tonight.” It’s her 36th birthday, and she’s wearing her Golden Gophers jacket.