2019 Minnesota Lynx at a glance: A team in transition
Went 18-16 as the defending WNBA champion and finished in fourth place in the Western Conference. As the seventh seed, they lost their lone playoff game at Los Angeles 75-68. Their top players were F Maya Moore (18.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and C Sylvia Fowles (17.7 ppg, 11.9 rpg). Longtime point guard Lindsay Whalen retired at the end of the season.
Lynx in 2019
Coach Cheryl Reeve reconfigured her roster in the offseason. A lot of familiar faces are gone, and fresh ones have replaced them. Here are five key newcomers:
Odyssey Sims, G: A familiar face to Lynx fans, the 26-year-old was acquired from the Los Angeles Sparks in a trade for Alexis Jones. She'll provide toughness and scoring and figures to play major minutes.
Napheesa Collier, F: The Lynx used the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft — their highest selection in seven years — on the 6-2 forward from UConn. Collier was a two-time All-America with the Huskies and averaged 20.8 points as a senior. She will bring an immediate jolt of youth and talent.
Karima Christmas-Kelly, G/F: The 29-year-old is entering her ninth WNBA season. Christmas-Kelly can play small forward and shooting guard — meaning she could replace a lot of the minutes formerly occupied by Maya Moore, who is taking the season off. The free-agent signee has started 106 games over the past four seasons, though a right knee injury limited her to just six games last year with Dallas.
Lexie Brown, G: The No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 draft played sparingly as a rookie for Connecticut. The Lynx acquired her in a draft night trade in April, and Brown should be in the mix for minutes.
Kenisha Bell, G: Familiar face, new team. The third-round draft choice, who averaged 19.1 points as a senior for the Gophers, faces an uphill climb to make the roster, but space is available.
MICHAEL RAND
about the writer
Don’t be surprised if you spot the WNBA standout jamming at Twin Cities concerts.