Kentucky WBB assistant Lin Dunn taking interim GM job with Indiana Fever

The Kentucky Women’s Basketball coaching staff took a significant hit on Monday morning.

Lin Dunn, the Wildcats’ special assistant to the head coach, has officially been named the interim General Manager with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. Dunn has been with Kentucky since 2016 when she was named as an assistant under then-head coach Matthew Mitchell. Since 2018, she has served as the special assistant to the head coach for UK.

Dunn was previously the head coach of the Fever from 2008-14 where she led the franchise to three WNBA Finals appearances, winning the championship in 2012. She would retire for the first time in 2014 before being named to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame the same year. She unretired in 2016 and had been in Lexington ever since, most recently aiding current head coach Kyra Elzy in an off-the-court role.

Thank you to the one and only @LD_ChalkTalk for six amazing years in Kentucky blue! 💙

We will miss you and wish you the best as the interim general manager at the @IndianaFever! pic.twitter.com/fTvm4StVfB

— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) February 14, 2022

The Indiana Fever received news on Monday morning that current Vice President for Basketball Operations and General Manager, Tamika Catchings, would step down from her post. The Fever finished as the worst team in the league this past season with a record of 6-26. The interesting part about that? Indiana “earned” the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming 2022 WNBA Draft, where Kentucky All-American Rhyne Howard is expected to go among the top two picks. Perhaps the Fever is trying to set itself up to bring Howard into a familiar situation with Dunn running the team? (if she’s still the GM, that is)

Dunn, 74, first began her coaching career in 1970 after graduating from Tennessee-Martin in 1969. She’s amassed a career record of 660-453 throughout both her college and WNBA coaching stints. Dunn coached at Austin Peay (1970-76), Ole Miss (1977-78), Miami FL (1978-87), and Purdue (1987-96) in the college ranks. She was later named the first head coach for the WNBA’s Seattle Storm in 2000, where she would stay for two seasons. Dunn eventually accepted an assistant role with the Fever in 2004 and was promoted to head coach in 2008.

It’s a tough loss for Elzy and her staff, but a good move for Dunn as she heads back to the WNBA.