A Sneak Peek into the Lynx’s Season and What to Expect Following an Eventful WNBA Offseason

Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and sunbathers have replaced ice fishers on Bde Maka Ska. That can only mean one thing: it is almost the WNBA season. It’s a time of year that truly makes my women’s sports-loving heart flutter with excitement.

Admittedly, the past two seasons have been rather disappointing for Lynx fans. The team has dominated in the regular season only to suffer devastating losses in the playoffs. Still, the team’s chemistry and star power couldn’t be denied. Under normal circumstances, the roster would probably only go through some minor tweaks since all of the elements of success are already there. But this off-season has been anything but normal. 

The 2025 season marked the end of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and the players’ union. The following months were characterized by tense negotiations as the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) failed to reach a new agreement by the deadline multiple times. 

The new CBA, which didn’t get ratified until late March, establishes a revenue-sharing model, the first in women’s professional sports history, and significantly increases salaries for athletes at all stages of their careers. 

“We’ve always believed that as this league grows, the players who power it must grow with it,” WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said in a press release following the CBA. “This agreement reflects that shared commitment, with players owning their value and future alongside a league growing stronger because of it.” 

Many players across the league had contracts that expired after the 2025 season in anticipation of the new CBA, meaning the majority of athletes, including all but two of the 2025 Lynx team, were free agents going into the 2026 offseason. Naturally, this has led to significant roster shakeup.

Napheesa Collier, Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride will all stay with the Lynx for the 2026 season. Collier signed a one-year, $1.4 million dollar “supermax” contract.

When asked at a press conference about her decision to sign a one-year deal, she said, “I’m so focused on right now with my injury and this year winning a championship … so I’m just focused on this year and winning.”

Collier suffered an ankle injury in the semi-finals against the Phoenix Mercury. She underwent surgery on both of her ankles this off-season and had to miss the second season of Unrivaled, the three-on-three basketball league she co-founded with the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart. It is still unclear when she will be fit to return to play.

Williams and McBride both signed two-year contracts with the Lynx. The two-time and five-time All-Star guards, respectively, have been an integral part of the Lynx’s primary starting lineup alongside Collier for the past two seasons.

The remaining two primary starters, Alanna Smith and Bridget Carelton, will not be returning to the Lynx this season. Smith, the 6’4” forward who earned the title of Co-Defensive Player of the Year last season, signed with the Dallas Wings, while Carleton was selected as the number one overall pick at the expansion draft by the Portland Fire.

The Fire, alongside the Toronto Tempo, will make their debut this season, bringing the league up to 15 teams. The expansion draft, which took place in early April, allowed them to begin building their rosters by selecting up to 12 unprotected players from the existing teams’ player pool. 

Other notable players not returning to the Lynx this season are Maria Kliundikova, whom the Tempo selected in the second round of the expansion draft; Natisha Hiedeman, who signed with the Seattle Storm, splitting up the “StudBudz” duo of herself and Williams; DiJonai Carrington, who signed with the Chicago Sky; and Jessica Shepard, who signed with the Wings alongside Smith. 

Of course, it’s not all bad news. Between free agency and their No. 2 draft pick, the Lynx have been able to pick up some exciting new talent. Forwards Natasha Howard and Nia Coffey will join the team this year from the Indiana Fever and the Wings, respectively. Both players already have strong Minnesota connections. Howard played for the Lynx when they won their most recent championship in 2017, and Coffey is a Hopkins native. 

“We are happy to be bringing Tasha home to the Lynx,” Lynx head coach and President of Basketball Operations Cheryl Reeve stated following the signing. “She has earned some impressive accolades since her time with the Lynx, and we look forward to adding her versatile offensive skillset and defensive proficiency to our team.” 

Indeed, Howard should be able to fill the void left by Smith. Since leaving the Lynx, she has helped two more teams earn championship titles, made the WNBA All-Defensive team twice and earned Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. Between her size at 6’3”, her defensive prowess and her adaptability to numerous different teams over the years, Howard will certainly make an impact for the Lynx. 

Another major addition to the team is point guard Olivia Miles, whom the Lynx selected with the No. 2 overall draft pick. The Lynx famously haven’t had a traditional point guard since Lindsay Whalen retired in 2018. Whalen reunited with the Lynx as an assistant coach back in 2024. 

“We felt there were two players with generational skills in the draft — the generational skills of passing and playmaking and point guard leadership,” Reeve said following the draft. “If Courtney Williams is watching, I don’t mean to suggest that she’s not a great point guard, but this is the first real point guard we’ve had since Lindsay Whalen. When I say real, you know, like that kind of generational [talent] that makes a living doing it.” 

For her part, Miles is really looking forward to working with Whalen as a coach.

“I think that’s what I’m most excited about because obviously [Whalen] is on staff, so I can’t wait to learn from her,” Miles said in a post-draft press conference. “I can’t wait to be a sponge and ask questions and be open-minded and be coachable.”

Ultimately, rosters won’t be finalized until May 6, two days before the start of the regular season, but the 2026 Lynx team is shaping up quite nicely despite the shakeup caused by the expansion draft and mass free agency. Howard will make a great addition to the team, and though there may be growing pains in introducing a new playmaker with Miles, her potential can’t be overstated. Not to mention, the return of Williams, McBride and Collier gives the team some consistency and valuable experience. 

Regardless of how the Lynx fare this year, this season is sure to be a historic one as the WNBA enters its 30th year with a landmark CBA and two new teams. I, for one, am thrilled by the strides the league has made in advancing women’s sports and can’t wait to see all this season will bring.