Minnesota gay marriage bill has impact for Lynx's Augustus

Seimone Augustus could have the chance to marry in her adopted home state of Minnesota.

Jim Mone/AP

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- It looks like Seimone Augustus could get her Minnesota wedding after all.

The Minnesota Lynx star has been planning to marry fiancee LaTaya Varner, but she wasn't sure she would be able to do it in her adopted home state because gay marriage was not legal. That could change by as early as next week.

The Minnesota House passed a measure to legalize gay marriage on Thursday and there is optimism among supporters that it will pass the Senate and be signed into a law by Tuesday.

"It's just exciting thing to see so many people support it," Augustus told reporters on Friday, her first day of training camp with the Lynx after returning from playing in Russia during the offseason.

Augustus has been a vocal supporter of the legislation, and she spoke out forcefully last year against a proposed amendment to the state's constitution that would have banned gay marriage. That amendment was defeated, but gay marriage remained illegal in Minnesota. That prompted Augustus and Varner to plan to get married in Iowa, where gay marriage is legal, this May.

But the wedding was postponed because Lynx training camp started a little earlier than she initially expected, and now that may turn out to be a good thing. When asked if she now planned to get married in Minnesota, the Louisiana native smiled.

"Of course, why not?" Augustus said. "This is like my adopted home."

Augustus has spent the summers in Minnesota for the past seven years, ever since she was drafted No. 1 overall in 2006. She met Varner at a downtown Minneapolis night club.

Augustus helped the Lynx win the WNBA title in 2011 and advance to the finals again in 2012, where they lost to the Indiana Fever. With Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, Maya Moore and Rebekkah Brunson all back from last year's team, the Lynx will again be among the favorites to contend for the championship.

"We'll have to plan (the wedding) for the end of the season," Augustus said. "Hopefully after we win the championship."