The deal will keep her under contract through the 2023-24 season.
m.startribune.com
Possibly explicable-
"Whalen’s extension carries her through the senior seasons of those incoming freshmen, a standard procedure in major college coaching."
Another point this article and indirectly raises is salary. Whalen in her second year of WBB coaching makes more than Charlie Turner Thorne with 25 plus years of WBB coaching.
The hiring of Mel Tucker by MSU was analyzed on the Big Ten Network. The analyst pointed out that due to the television and radio contract the Big Ten has negotiated they have the most incoming broadcast money of any power 5 conference, even more than the SEC.
Thus they were easily able to double Tucker's salary from Colorado. This largesse has translated into a starting salary for Whelan above what could be offered in the other power 5 conferences.