The Minnesota Lynx came about as close as a team possibly can to winning a title without actually doing so this season. They were leading the New York Liberty with less than 10 seconds to play in regulation of the winner-take-all Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals, but ended up losing in overtime. And so, the hunt for a record-setting fifth title goes on.
No one expected the Lynx to be a contender this season, but their under-the-radar offseason acquisitions -- Alanna Smith, Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman -- gelled and Napheesa Collier took her game to yet another level. Their collective may not have had the star power of some other groups, but they made up for it with incredible cohesion.
They got off to a 13-3 start, then struggled a bit in the middle of the season when Napheesa Collier missed some time with plantar fasciitis. Once she returned after the Olympic break, however, they took off again. They went 13-2 in the second half of the season, with one of those losses coming on the final day of the regular season when they sat most of the starters.
In the playoffs, they cruised past the Phoenix Mercury in the first round, then needed the full five games to take down the battle-tested Connecticut Sun. That set the stage for a showdown with the Liberty, whose number they had in the regular season. They won Game 1 with a historic 18-point comeback, nearly pulled off another comeback in Game 2, lost Game 3 on a last-second 3-pointer by Sabrina Ionescu, won Game 4 on a pair of last-second free throws by Bridget Carleton, then dropped Game 5 in overtime in controversial fashion.
"This shit was stolen from us," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said after Game 5. "We were that close to our fifth. Just didn't happen. It's disappointing. It's incredibly disappointing. But these guys, I mean, they've got to try to pick themselves up and go, "We were that damn close." It hurts. It hurts."
Season at a glance
- Record: 30-10 (No. 2 seed)
- Offensive rating: 102.8 (fourth)
- Defensive rating: 94.8 (second)
- Net rating: plus-8.0 (third)
Biggest strength
Versatility
The reason the Finals was so competitive is because the Lynx were the one team that could match the Liberty's versatility on both sides of the ball. They led the league in 3-point shooting (38.0) and were the second-best defensive team. All five players in their starting lineup could shoot and guard multiple positions, which gave them so much flexibility.
Biggest weakness
Lack of size
As impressive as Smith and Collier were defensively, they stand only 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-1, respectively. That left the Lynx susceptible to teams with serious size in the frontcourt. Most notably, they allowed a 31.8 opponent offensive rebound rate, which was second-worst in the league, and there were certain matchups where they didn't have much of an answer.
Key free agents
- Natisha Hiedeman
- Myisha Hines-Allen
- Cecelia Zandalasini
The great news for the Lynx is that their entire starting lineup from this season is under contract for 2025. Likewise, their most promising young players are already signed as well. However, they do have a number of key bench pieces that are hitting the market this winter.
We'll start with Hiedeman, who came over from the Connecticut Sun in a trade ahead of the season and assumed the back-up point guard role. After shooting at least 35.9% from 3-point land in the first five seasons of her career, she made just 28% of her attempts this season. That summed up her inconsistent summer. An unrestricted free agent, she could be back if the Lynx bet on a bounce-back campaign, but it wouldn't be a shock if they look for a different option at that spot.
Hines-Allen was another trade piece. She arrived at the deadline from the Washington Mystics to provide some extra frontcourt depth, and had some nice moments, particularly early in the playoffs. In the Finals, though, she was often played off the floor and was benched for Game 5. Considering their cap situation -- $401K for at least three, perhaps four spots -- there's a chance that Hines-Allen turns out to be a rental, especially if she's looking for the $180K she was on this season.
Zandalasini came back to the WNBA for the first time since 2018 and was a solid deep rotation piece. She shot it extremely well from behind the arc (44.8%) and fit in perfectly with their system. If she wants to return to the States next season, she will likely be back in Minnesota.
The Lynx's full offseason plans will likely depend on how much they trust their young players, Dorka Juhasz, Diamond Miller and Alissa Pili, to step into bigger roles. If they do, they can re-sign Hiedeman -- or find another back-up point guard -- bring back Zandalasini and pretty much be set rotation wise. If not, they may want to hit the free agent market to shore up the bench. Considering how well their starting lineup played together last season, it's hard to see them making any major additions that could potentially mess with the chemistry.
Expansion draft concerns
Like the other elite teams with a lot of depth, the Lynx are going to feel the impact of the expansion draft. They can only protect six players from the Golden State Valkyries, and we can safely assume that the five starters are going to be on that list: Collier, Carleton, Smith, Williams and Kayla McBride.
From there, they'll only be able to choose one of their bench pieces or prospects. Juhasz was the most productive youngster this season, but Miller has the most potential. Unless they work out a deal with the Valkyries, they're going to lose one of them. That's bad news long term, but in the short term it shouldn't impact their title odds next season considering neither played significant minutes in the playoffs.
Draft outlook
The Lynx have their own first-round pick this year, which will be No. 11 overall. They also have a second-round pick from the Chicago Sky (No. 15) via their trade just before the draft last season, their own second (No. 24) and their own third (No. 37).
Considering their roster and salary cap situations, the first-round pick will likely be the only meaningful selection they make, and there's still no guarantee that player makes the roster. Even if they do, they likely won't play much. There are no glaring needs, but they could use some backcourt and frontcourt depth.
South Carolina guard Te-Hina Paopao certainaly fits the bill as an experienced guard who can really shoot it. If they prefer a defensive prospect, they could look at her Gamecocks teammate Raven Johnson. There isn't quite as much frontcourt depth in this class, but there are some draft-and-stash options such as Dominique Malonga and Ajsa Sivka, who will likely be available at this spot and would make sense for the Lynx's situation.