Chemo Doesn’t Slow Lynx Executive
Minnesota Lynx chief operating officer
Conrad Smith arrived home at 10 p.m. last Monday night with a smile
on his face. During a whirlwind day the Lynx had drafted three-time
college player of the year Maya Moore and the
response from fans and media was extraordinary for the local WNBA
franchise that often goes unnoticed.
The Lynx sold over 150 new season tickets
within 30 hours. Not only was Moore draft coverage prominent on the
local news, ESPN was here, too. The Lynx even arranged for an airplane
to fly over downtown on Tuesday night with a banner that said: “Welcome
Maya Moore. Season starts June 5.”
The buzz was energizing and rewarding for
Smith, who last May was diagnosed with a brain tumor about the size of a
quarter. Instead of being exhausted last Monday night he was excited,
anticipating a “great season” ahead starting later this spring, and
grateful for being “healthy.”
He had surgery on June 11 last year to
remove the tumor and remains realistic about his health. “I continue to
be treated for cancer and get scans every two months,” he said. “The
last one was clean. It (the cancer) may never come back, or it may in a
month or two years. Maybe in a different place.”
Smith receives chemotherapy by taking
night-time pills 10 days per month on a 28 day cycle. “I still have all
the energy I had before (the tumor),” he said. “I am typically in the
office at 7 or 7:30 a.m. I work 50 to 60 hours a week.”
He represented the Lynx in the WNBA draft
lottery last fall. His presence was good luck for the franchise that
was 13-21 last year and has been known for losing records and not qualifying
for the playoffs.
“Things have been kind of tough here,”
Smith said. “It’s like starting brand new (now). Like starting a race
all over and knowing you have some of the best runners in the race.”
In last week’s WNBA draft the Lynx also
acquired Xavier forward Amber Harris with the fourth pick in the
first round. The rookies join a talented roster that includes former
Gophers superstar guard Lindsay Whalen and high scoring
guard-forward Seimone Augustus.
“Half the team is made up of all-stars and
Olympians,” Smith said. “There is an incredible buzz.”
But it’s Moore who will receive much of
the attention when the Lynx report to camp on May 15. She will be seen
by some as a savior for a franchise that once sold 6,000 season tickets
but had 2,400 in 2010, the club’s 12th year of operation.
Moore’s most recent honor came late last week when she won the 2011
Honda Sports Award in basketball, recognizing her as the nation’s top
collegiate female player. The 6-foot guard won the Honda-Broderick Cup
last year as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and could receive
that honor in 2011.
Moore, from Jefferson City, Missouri, led Connecticut to four Final Four
appearances, two national titles and a 150-4 record during her college
career. She is the fourth-leading scorer in NCAA history, with 3,036
points. A three-time WBCA Wade Trophy honoree and four-time WBCA State
Farm First Team All-American, she won the Naismith Trophy, the
Associated Press Player of the Year Award and the USBWA Player of the
Year Award in 2009 and 2011.
The first opportunity for fans to see Moore will be on May 24 when the
Lynx play Indiana at Concordia University-St. Paul in a pre-season game
starting at noon. Not surprisingly, the Lynx are already selling
tickets for the game.
The Lynx’s regular season home opener will be June 5 at Target Center
against Los Angeles. Tickets can be purchased in various ways including at
www.lynxbasketball.com.
Smith said on Friday the Lynx have sold 175 new season
tickets and renewals were going well. No doubt he was smiling and
energized.
