WNBA's Lynx To Auction Janell Burse Game Jersey
Oct 17, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 17, 2003
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - - The Minnesota Lynx have announced that the 2003 WNBA jersey of former Tulane University women's basketball star Janell Burse is available for bid in the team's charity auction in support of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Burse's official game-worn jersey will be available for bid until Oct. 28 on the Lynx' Web site at www.lynxbasketball.com, with proceeds benefiting breast cancer research and survivors.
Burse averaged 14.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg in her four-year career with the Green Wave. She finished as the all-time blocked shots leader in Conference USA and school history with 248. The 6-5 center was named to the All-Conference USA First Team as a senior (2001) and junior (2000), and was selected as Conference USA's Defensive Player of the Year three consecutive seasons (1999, 2000, 2001).
Burse, drafted in the second round (28th overall) of the 2001 WNBA Draft by Minnesota, completed her third season in the WNBA in 2003. She recorded career highs with 7.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 28 blocked shots in 29 games. Burse is the Lynx' all-time leader in blocked shots with 56.
Fans will have until Oct. 28 to bid on Burse's jersey and the jersey of teammate Tamika Williams. Two more Lynx player jerseys are to be unveiled on Oct. 29 at www.lynxbasketball.com. This process will continue with new players every two weeks until Dec. 19. Each player jersey will be bid upon separately. The jerseys for bid are 2003 official game-worn white home jerseys.
The proceeds raised from the auction will be donated toward 2004 Lynx tickets that will be distributed to local Twin Cities breast cancer centers, and will be utilized by breast cancer survivors and their families. In addition, the Minnesota Lynx Community Foundation will match the total money raised through the auction, and will make a donation in that amount to a breast cancer research center in Minnesota.
Breast health awareness and research has been the cornerstone of the Lynx' community focus. In the team's first five seasons, the Lynx have raised over $500,000 for breast cancer research and education in the state of Minnesota. The key component of the Lynx' breast health awareness campaign has been the team's annual Great Basketball Dribble, a 2.5-mile walk through downtown Minneapolis that raises money for breast cancer research.
