Coffee syrup and Del’s Lemonade might sound foreign to anyone outside of Rhode Island. But, Sun guard Lindsay Whalen showed her familiarity with two of the Ocean State’s minor institutions on March 24th when she addressed an audience of roughly 500 during the 27th annual Rhode Island High School Girls’ Basketball Coaches Association banquet at the West Valley Inn in West Warwick, R.I.

Lindsay was the featured speaker at the event which honored the state champions and the all-state selection winners. She joked with the nearly 500 players, coaches and parents in attendance about the state’s quirky beverages and the region’s seemingly endless amount of snowfall this winter. Lindsay talked about her playing career from her high school days at a small school in Minnesota to her starring role at the University of Minnesota. She also encouraged all of the players to reach for their goals.

After the award presentations, Lindsay signed autographs and posed for photos with the teams.