Lindsay Whalen's departure as head women's basketball coach at the University of Minnesota will extend beyond the hardwood after all.

Whalen purportedly stepped down as coach of the Golden Gophers in early March toward the end of another losing season. She was initially slated to remain on school staff as a special assistant to athletic director Mark Coyle, a development that will no longer take place as additional details of her exit become publicly available.

The official release agreement between Whalen and the University of Minnesota reveals that she received a $215,000 buyout from her contract for termination without cause, according to the Associated Press, nullifying prior indication that her departure was mutually agreed upon. Whalen had two years remaining on her deal before being dismissed, including a $547,000 salary for 2023-24.

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Whalen, basketball royalty in her native Minnesota, took reins with the Gophers in 2018, shortly after announcing retirement from her playing days. The WNBA legend with the Minnesota Lynx led her alma mater to a 71-76 overall record, twice helping the Gophers to the second round of the women's NIT. Minnesota went 11-19 overall and 4-14 in Big 10 play under Whalen last season, both the worst marks of her five-year tenure on the sidelines.

The university hired former West Virginia coach Dawn Plitzuweit as Whalen's replacement on March 18th.