{"id":244918,"date":"2025-10-23T01:46:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T01:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/244918\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T01:46:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T01:46:26","slug":"a-season-of-highs-lows-and-a-fire-that-still-burns-for-minnesota-lynx-winsidr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/244918\/","title":{"rendered":"A Season of Highs, Lows, and a Fire That Still Burns for Minnesota Lynx \u00bb Winsidr"},"content":{"rendered":"

A year after experiencing the heartbreak of losing the 2024 WNBA Finals in a controversial winner-take-all Game 5, the Minnesota Lynx entered their 2025 campaign with a revenge tour on their minds and the hopes of crossing the finish line this time around.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Right out of the gate this season, Minnesota became the team many expected it to be and the Lynx lived up to expectations, putting together one of the best regular season campaigns<\/a> we\u2019ve seen in WNBA history.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, like in 2024, the season came to a close earlier than Minnesota planned, dropping a semifinals series to the Phoenix Mercury, who went on to face the Las Vegas Aces for the league title. And also like in 2024, it ended with drama and with Minnesota ultimately having its season come to a close without a championship.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m proud of us. No, we didn\u2019t reach our goal,\u201d coach Cheryl Reeve said. \u201cBut I\u2019m immensely proud of our team.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Year<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for the Lynx to rise to the top of the WNBA standings during the 44-game regular season, opening the year up with a 9-0 record and a 17-3 mark through the first 20 games.By the end of the regular season, the Lynx finished 34-10 overall, setting a franchise record for wins in a season while tying the 2023 Las Vegas Aces for most wins in a regular season in WNBA history.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Along with the impressive record, Minnesota led the league in multiple statistical categories, displaying a well-rounded campaign with a plethora of depth. The Lynx led the WNBA in scoring (86.1 points per game), field goal percentage (47.2 percent), three-point percentage (37.8 percent), offensive rating (109.5), defensive rating (97.5), net rating (12.1), assists (23.3), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8), while ranking second in steals (8.2) and true shooting percentage (57.2 percent).<\/p>\n

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what a season it was. \ud83d\udc99 pic.twitter.com\/gEjbrSmejx<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) October 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

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Individually, the Lynx saw individual success as well. Napheesa Collier\u2014who was once the frontrunner to win WNBA MVP, finishing second to Las Vegas\u2019 A\u2019ja Wilson\u2014concluded the year by joining the exclusive 50\/40\/90 club (shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 90 percent from the free throw line), joining Elena Delle Donne as the second player in WNBA history to do so. Alanna Smith had a career year defensively, earning Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors alongside Wilson. Natisha Hiedeman and Jessica Shepard were two Sixth Player of the Year candidates, providing Minnesota with consistent play off the bench.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Oh, and did we even mention StudBudz?<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t look at the season and say \u2018this is hard because we have a target on our back,\u2019\u201d Courtney Williams said after the season. \u201cThat\u2019s what we wanted. We got in the gym and we stacked our days. Making it to the Finals (last year), making it to the final four teams (this year). Says a lot about this group. \u2026 We play for one another. I\u2019m happy I\u2019ve been a part of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Minnesota was the best regular season team of the 2025 campaign. But all of that gets thrown out when the playoffs arrive, and the Lynx didn\u2019t perform like the team we saw throughout the summer. As a result, the season came to an end earlier than anticipated. But not without plenty of headlines.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The Aftermath<\/p>\n

When the final buzzer sounded at the end of Game 4 of the semifinals against Phoenix, Minnesota\u2019s season drew to a close. But talks around the Lynx didn\u2019t stop when the clock hit zero.<\/p>\n

For starters, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was the conversation across the WNBA after letting loose on officials in Game 3 and sounding off on the WNBA\u2019s officiating after the game, which earned her a $15,000 fine and a suspension for Game 4.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI want to call for a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve responded to the officiating in Game 3 of the Lynx-Mercury WNBA Semifinal. pic.twitter.com\/xuyfxmyqLa<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ESPN (@espn) September 27, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cCheryl always has our backs,\u201d Bridget Carleton said at the end of the season. \u201cShe\u2019s ride-or-die for us, ride-or-die for the Lynx. She\u2019s willing to do whatever for the team to be successful. That\u2019s our coach, she has our back. \u2026She will do anything to support us and help us be successful. That\u2019s why she\u2019s one of the best in this game. We appreciate her so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you thought the drama ended there, Collier turned it up a notch two days later during Minnesota\u2019s exit interviews with the media. Collier\u2014who suffered a Grade 2 tear of three ligaments in her ankle and a muscle in her shin in that same Game 3 that kept her sidelined for Game 4\u2014prepared a direct and calculated shot at the WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Collier called out the league for its \u201clack of accountability\u201d and referred to Engelbert and league leadership as \u201cthe worst leadership in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Napheesa Collier\u2019s full statement today, where she challenged Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA with directness and stunning detail we rarely hear from active players. Worth listening to every word. pic.twitter.com\/IRTvTc52EA<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) September 30, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

See Also<\/p>\n

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Collier\u2019s comments almost make you forget about Reeve\u2019s outburst or the end to the season for the Lynx. That statement has taken over the league and the sports world while unifying players across the WNBA in a very important time with ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations.<\/p>\n

The stance Collier is taking is a bold one, but could end up being something we look back on as being one of those moments that helped change the WNBA as we know it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The Future<\/p>\n

Like most teams, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Minnesota entering the offseason. With a new CBA to begin in 2026\u2014assuming an agreement is reached<\/a>\u2014nearly every player on the Lynx roster is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Minnesota\u2019s starting lineup of Collier, Kayla McBride, Williams, Carleton, and Smith, as well as key bench players DiJonai Carrington, Hiedeman, and Shepard are all entering free agency. The only two players under contract in 2026 are Anastasiia Olairi Kosu, entering her second WNBA season, and Dorka Juhasz, who didn\u2019t play in the WNBA in 2025 but is still on the final year of her protected rookie scale contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seeing a majority of the roster as free agents this offseason isn\u2019t an uncommon thing throughout the league, so Minnesota is not in rare territory here. And it\u2019s likely we see most, if not all, of the starting lineup back with the Lynx in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now I\u2019m still gathering my emotions and thoughts. \u2026I\u2019m still going to process all those things,\u201d McBride said in her exit interview. \u201cWalking off the court [in Game 4], I can\u2019t imagine feeling like that for another team. \u2026What we\u2019ve built here, this is my fifth year [in Minnesota], it has really changed my career here in Minnesota and under Cheryl.\u201d<\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see how teams will go after Minnesota\u2019s three main contributors off the bench\u2014Carrington, Hiedeman, and Shepard\u2014because their play in a Lynx uniform will likely result in teams throwing large chunks of money their way. However, if Minnesota isn\u2019t able to retain those players, expect the Lynx to be aggressive to try and sign a solid contributor in free agency.<\/p>\n

Another thing to remember about this Lynx team moving forward is they will have a top pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, owning the Chicago Sky\u2019s top-four pick while having a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick. So Minnesota will get a solid young talent that could be thrown into the mix right away as a rookie.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 2025 season for Minnesota was dominant and impressive, yet disappointing and filled with plenty of storylines when it was all said and done. But with a big offseason ahead and a bright outlook for the year ahead, it\u2019s likely we see the Minnesota Lynx back in the conversation as one of the top teams in the WNBA in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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