Minnesota Lynx Roster 2025: Full Breakdown of the Team

The Minnesota Lynx have been a powerhouse since 1998, securing four WNBA championships (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017) with a huge fan base. The team possessed strong team chemistry, consistently making them championship contenders. Though the team has undergone some changes in the Minnesota Lynx Roster 2025, maintaining its core while strategically adding depth. The Lynx are returning eight key players, ensuring continuity in their starting lineup and established chemistry.

For the 2025 season, notable changes include the return of Jessica Shepard, who was suspended for the 2024 season due to prioritization rules, adding significant frontcourt depth. The Lynx also made additions through trades and the draft, with Karlie Samuelson joining the team via acquisition and rookie Anastasiia Olairi Kosu (a 2025 second-round draft pick) making the final roster. Additionally, veteran center Marieme Badiane was signed, though later waived, and Maria Kliundikova was signed, reflecting a focus on fortifying the post position. While some players like Dorka Juhasz opted to sit out the 2025 season, the Lynx largely retained their successful unit, aiming for continued contention.

Minnesota Lynx Roster 2025

The Minnesota Lynx enter the 2025 WNBA season as a team transformed, building directly on the momentum of their thrilling run to the 2024 WNBA Finals. After narrowly missing a championship in a Game 5 loss, the Lynx's primary focus for 2025 has been continuity and strategic reinforcement, firmly setting their sights on securing the team's fifth championship title. Though there have been many changes in the Minnesota Lynx Roster 2025, the team's core of Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams remains intact. While the Lynx maintained their core, the transformation also involved calculated adjustments to deepen their roster and address specific needs. As per the Minnesota Lynx Roster 2025 provided in ESPN's team roster, we have presented the players with their height, position, age, and college in the table below:

Minnesota Lynx Key Players

The Minnesota Lynx's recent dominance comes down to the team's three key players, Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams, who have shown their game as a unit, especially in their push to the 2024 WNBA Finals. Napheesa Collier, being a versatile forward, uses her elite scoring, rebounding, and defensive qualities in the game, which makes her an MVP candidate and a dominant two-way force. Whereas, Kayla McBride provides crucial shooting, leadership, and consistent offensive output. Her ability to space the floor and hit clutch shots has helped the team win many matches. Courtney Williams has been an important player for the Lynx's offense with her dynamic playmaking at the point guard position. Combining their distinct qualities, they become a potent force against the opponent. Let's know more about their contribution to the team.

#1: Napheesa Collier (24.4 Points)

Napheesa Collier was the sixth overall pick for the Minnesota Lynx in the 2019 WNBA Draft, and within some time, she has emerged to be one of the toughest women in the WNBA league. Over the six years that she spent in the WNBA league alongside her fellow Lynx teammates, she has averaged 17.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in her career. Collier has solidified her status as one of the WNBA's elite, particularly with her MVP-caliber performances. In the 2024 season, she had averages of 20.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game, demonstrating her all-around impact on the game. Not just the 2024 season, she even had a dominant 2023 campaign where she averaged 21.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. Even more remarkably, in the early part of the 2025 season, the former Commissioner Cup's MVP is averaging 24.4 points along with 8.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks. Her efficiency is also notable, currently boasting a 52.4% field goal percentage, 42.1% from three-point range, and 93.1% from the free-throw line in 2025. Her achievements include winning the 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year and an All-Rookie Team selection. She has since been named a 4x WNBA All-Star (2019, 2021, 2023, 2024).

Her defensive skills were recognized with the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award and selections to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team (2024) and Second Team (2020, 2023). Offensively, she's earned All-WNBA First Team honors in 2023 and 2024 and Second Team in 2020. Her 2024 season also included leading the Lynx to the Commissioner's Cup championship, for which she was named Commissioner's Cup MVP. Beyond the WNBA, Collier is a 2x Olympic Gold Medalist with Team USA (2020 and 2024 Games), highlighting her international success. She also earned the inaugural Unrivaled MVP award in 2025 for the 3x3 league she co-founded.

#2: Kayla McBride (14.5 Points)

Kayla McBride, a crucial guard for the Minnesota Lynx, is currently putting up 14.5 points per game in the 2025 WNBA season at the time of writing this article. She is well known for her scoring efficiency, three-point shooting, and leadership. She plays a crucial role in the Lynx's offensive plays. In the 2024 WNBA season, McBride averaged 15.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, showcasing her versatility and improved playmaking skills. Her three-point shooting was particularly strong, converting 40.7% from beyond the arc on 6.6 attempts per game. This stellar performance continued into the 2024 WNBA Finals, where she averaged 17.8 points over five games, including a remarkable 22-point effort in Game 1. If we talk about her 2025 WNBA season, McBride has elevated her game even further, currently averaging 14.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, while maintaining an excellent 44.9% from three-point range on 6.8 attempts per game.

She has achieved many awards, some of which include her 3rd overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft and being named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team in the same year. A 4x WNBA All-Star (2015, 2018, 2019, 2024), she consistently ranks among the league's top sharpshooters. In 2024, she became the 10th player in WNBA history to make 600+ regular-season three-pointers, achieving this milestone in the third-fastest time, behind only Diana Taurasi and Katie Smith. Beyond the WNBA, McBride has also had an international career, winning multiple EuroLeague Championships with Turkish club Fenerbahce.

#3: Courtney Williams (13.0 Points)

Courtney Williams is a big name in basketball. She faced intense scrutiny after being dismissed from the Atlanta Dream following her involvement in an off-court altercation. Since then, Williams has been shuffling teams just to make ends in the WNBA, but couldn't make it since 2021 due to her distorted public image. However, the chance eventually appeared before her as Courtney Williams signed with the Minnesota Lynx in 2024 and led the team to the WNBA Finals. During the 2024 WNBA season, she had secured an average of 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and a career-best 5.5 assists per game, showcasing her versatility. Her impact was particularly evident during the 2024 WNBA Finals run, where she consistently scored averages of 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists across the five-game series, proving her performance under pressure. Early in the 2025 WNBA season, Williams has maintained her strong form, currently putting up 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and a team-leading 5.9 assists per game, cementing her role as a primary facilitator for the Lynx's potent offense.

Some of her awards include a WNBA All-Star in 2021, which shows recognition of her growth and substantial contributions. She was also a crucial component of the 2024 WNBA Commissioner's Cup Champion Minnesota Lynx, underscoring her importance to the team's collective success. She's consistently among the league leaders in assists, especially since fully in the point guard role in 2023. Her ability to secure rebounds, often exceeding 5 per game despite her guard position, further shows her all-around game capabilities.

Minnesota Lynx Draft Picks 2025

In the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Minnesota Lynx made three selections to their roster. With the 15th overall pick, they chose Anastasiia Olairi Kosu, a 19-year-old forward from Russia with a strong professional background in Europe. Later in the second round, at the 24th pick, the Lynx selected Dalayah Daniels, a forward out of the University of Washington. Finally, in the third round with the 37th pick, they added Aubrey Griffin, a versatile guard/forward from UConn. They got the honor to be called Minnesota Lynx basketball players, a franchise with great WNBA legacy, which they'll have to uphold. These picks aimed to add depth and talent to an already strong Lynx team. As per the team's official page on the WNBA website, we know that Kosu, Daniels, and Griffin are the Minnesota Lynx Draft Picks 2025.

Anastasiia Olairi Kosu (Forward)

With the No. 15 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Minnesota Lynx selected 19-year-old Anastasiia Olairi Kosu. Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations Cheryl Reeve highlighted Kosu's impressive professional experience at a young age, playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, the same team which Diana Taurasi played for. Some of her achievements and records that have led the Lynx to choose her are being named MVP of the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship, where she led Russia to a gold medal, averaging an impressive 18.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game. She was a key player for Russia at the 2021 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup, leading her team in scoring and averaging a double-double with 15.7 points and 12.8 rebounds, even recording a rare 20-point, 20-rebound game.

She has also achieved many awards, being a Russian player, like Eurobasket.com's Player of the Year, Forward of the Year, and Domestic Player of the Year in the Russian PBL during the 2023-24 season. The Lynx saw her as a player with significant potential for future development, providing a combination of athleticism and defensive versatility that could make her a valuable asset in their long-term plans. Her international accolades, including MVP of the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship, further affirmed her talent to the Lynx front office earning a spot on Minnesota Lynx's roster.

Dalayah Daniels (Forward)

With the No. 24 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Minnesota Lynx selected Dalayah Daniels due to her impressive blend of size, athleticism, and defensive acumen, along with her consistent improvement throughout her collegiate career. The Lynx value her versatility as a 6-foot-4 forward who can contribute both offensively in the post and defensively as a shot-blocker and rebounder. Daniels' records and achievements underscore her potential. She was a highly touted McDonald's All-American out of high school. In college, after two seasons at California, she transferred to the University of Washington, where she truly blossomed, concluding her career ranking second in school history in blocked shots with 160.

In her final season (2024-25), she was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and averaged 12.8 points (on 57.5% shooting), 7.2 rebounds, 1.55 blocks, and 1.55 steals, leading the Huskies to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. She also earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention in 2024 and was named to the 2023-24 Pac-12 Defensive Team Honorable Mention, showcasing her consistent impact on both ends of the floor. Her ability to record numerous double-doubles (28 in her career) further illustrates her well-rounded game. Going through all her achievements and records, we can know why the Minnesota Lynx Draft Picks 2025 include her.

Aubrey Griffin (Guard/Forward)

With the No. 37 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Minnesota Lynx selected Aubrey Griffin due to her athleticism, defensive capabilities, and winning records, despite her collegiate career being hampered by injuries. Head Coach Reeve praised Griffin as a "versatile athlete who defends, rebounds, runs the floor, is a willing cutter and efficient scorer." as mentioned on the team's website. Her experience playing for four Final Four teams at the University of Connecticut was a significant factor, indicating her understanding of what it takes to succeed at a high level. The Lynx are taking a calculated chance on her potential if she can stay healthy. Griffin's records and achievements reflect her talent when on the court. She was part of the 2025 NCAA National Championship team with UConn alongside Paige Bueckers.

In her five seasons at UConn, she scored 986 points and 680 rebounds. Her best season came in 2022-23, where she averaged a career-high 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, earning All-Big East Honorable Mention selection. Notably, in December 2022, she tied a UConn single-game record set by Rebecca Lobo by going 11-for-11 from the field in a 29-point, 10-rebound performance against Princeton. Griffin's strong defensive instincts were also a consistent highlight, along with her ability to run the floor and contribute as an efficient scorer around the basket. She is the 50th UConn Husky to be drafted into the WNBA.

Minnesota Lynx Season Expectations

The Minnesota Lynx began the 2025 season with the challenging goal of winning their fifth WNBA Championship after their impressive run to the WNBA Finals last year. They've maintained the core team of their successful 2024 roster, including MVP candidate Napheesa Collier, and their continuity is a major strength. Under the guidance of Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve, the Lynx are known for their defense and efficient offense.​ With the majority of their starters and key rotational players returning, they're expected to build upon that foundation and accelerate their progress. Their playoff trajectory is firmly aimed at the top. Many experts predicted them to contend for the WNBA Championship, and some even have them as favorites to go all the way.

The Minnesota Lynx dramatically surpassed their 2024 WNBA season expectations, transforming from a playoff hopeful into a legitimate championship contender. Despite initial predictions, placing them as a competitive but not top-tier team after significant roster changes. They concluded the regular season with an impressive 30-10 record, securing the 2nd seed overall, and went on to win their first-ever Commissioner's Cup. Their remarkable playoff journey culminated in a hard-fought WNBA Finals appearance, where they narrowly lost 3-2 to the New York Liberty. This stellar performance, fueled by Coach and defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier, redefined their standing in the league and set the stage for even higher aspirations in 2025.