December 13, 2022
Minnesota Lynx tab Clare Duwelius as new general manager
Duwelius has been a member of the Lynx’s front office since 2014
The Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday afternoon announced their latest move in solidifying their front office. Clare Duwelius was named the franchise’s fourth-ever general manager, proceeding current president of basketball operations and head coach Cheryl Reeve, who served in the same role for the previous six seasons (2017-2022). Duwelius has been a member of the Lynx’s front office since 2014, with the last five seasons under the title of assistant general manager.
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“I have long felt that Clare Duwelius was one of our top free agent signings,” Reeve said in a prepared statement provided in the press release announcing the move. “Clare epitomizes all that the Lynx stand for in her passion, drive, work ethic, commitment, loyalty, and attention to detail. I look forward to partnering with Clare in her work as General Manager for the Lynx as she continues to make her mark on our franchise.”
Duwelius, who has had a close relationship with Reeve since joining the team, will work alongside her mentor and the other members of the front office in plotting the upcoming offseason, one that figures to be potentially franchise-altering for the Lynx. Minnesota is projected to have nearly $540,000 in cap space and many spots to fill on the roster.
“[I’m] looking forward to a busy offseason, as they always are. But I think we have a great opportunity ahead of us to take a big bite out of the free agency and excited that we landed the number two pick,” Duwelius said.
However, plotting acquisitions and pitching free agents isn’t exactly new territory for the franchise’s nascent GM. As assistant GM, Duwelius assisted with developing “player contracts, draft prospect scouting, domestic and international player logistics, budget management and team travel arrangements,” per the release.
“Cheryl has always kind of let me bite off as much as I can chew and get as involved as possible. She has always had that mindset and that’s obviously been a huge contributor to why I’ve been able to grow alongside her, so forever grateful for that.”
From a day-to-day perspective, Duwelius said that while her duties won’t change dramatically, she will be leaned upon more to provide “strategically minded” feedback on the Lynx roster and continue scouting the college ranks. (She just returned from a scouting trip Sunday night and will soon embark on another trip.)
Duwelius grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, where she was a standout at Dowling Catholic High School. (Sometime later, a little-known athlete named Caitlin Clark would arrive and break all her school records.)
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After graduating, she continued her basketball career at Wayne State College in Nebraska before earning a master’s degree in business administration from Southwest Minnesota State University.
Written by Lucas Seehafer
Lucas Seehafer is a general reporter for The Next. He is also a physical therapist and professor at the undergraduate level. His work has previously appeared at Baseball Prospectus, Forbes, FanSided, and various other websites.
