rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
A new class of women’s basketball players is getting ready to launch their pro careers after Monday night’s WNBA draft, including Minnesota’s own Paige Bueckers.
Bueckers was the No. 1 overall pick, going to the Dallas Wings. The UConn standout and Hopkins High School graduate told ESPN reporters after her selection that she hopes to bring “just a selfless leader, a person who just wants to win, will do whatever it takes to win,” to the league. “And somebody who plays with so much heart and passion and so much love for the game, and love sharing that with others.”
As Bueckers heads to the Lone Star State, the Minnesota Lynx are welcoming four new additions — three from the draft and a fourth player from a trade. Cheryl Reeve, head coach and president of basketball operations, joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition Tuesday to talk about the draft, the upcoming season and the boom in women’s sports interest.
Anastasiia Olairi Kosu, a 19-year-old from Russia, is Lynx’s first pick
No. 15 overall selection Monday night was Anastasiia Olairi Kosu. The forward is just 19 years old and went pro in Russia at age 15. Before the draft, she played for UMMC Ekaterinburg.
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
“The story that we like is that she has not just been playing basketball, but a WNBA fan, as she, as a youngster, would go to [Dynamo Kursk] games in Kursk, Russia, where Nneka Ogwumike, Rebekkah Brunson have all played,” Reeve said. “And so she’s sort of grown up watching WNBA players, and her aspirations are to be just like them.”
Reeve is confident Kosu can handle the physicality of the WNBA and will be a great defender.
She “certainly has her work cut out for her to make a WNBA roster,” Reeve said.
However, getting international athletes to the U.S. is trickier under the second Trump administration.
“It’s a more unique time, and we have certainly been busy on the immigration side of things to ensure that we get the players here,” Reeve added.
Lynx traded 2026 No. 1 pick for Mystics guard Karlie Samuelson. How does she bolster the lineup?
Prior to the draft, the Lynx relinquished their No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft to acquire Washington Mystics veteran guard Karlie Samuelson. Reeve said she was excited about that opportunity.
“We have been interested in Karlie throughout the off-season, and we identified her as a player that could certainly fit,” Reeve said. “The starting group will be able to have a group behind them, as we did last year. We thought that was really vital to our success.”
However, the Lynx lost key player Cecilia Zandalasini to an expansion draft, as the WNBA added a thirteenth team — the Golden State Valkyries — in December.
“We were kind of targeting a way to replace that shooting and Karlie’s got some toughness, and just really liked the trajectory of her career, from being undrafted to now having a guaranteed contract,” Reeve said. She “really has come into her own maturity-wise.”
Team building or top spot?
The Lynx lost to the New York Liberty in last year’s final. It was their first finals appearance since 2017, when Minnesota clinched the championship.
Reeve said this year will be a mix of team building and clawing their way back to the top.
“There’s certainly places that we can go to improve,” Reeve said. “We’re certainly trying to position ourselves to return to the finals and see if we can create a different outcome.”
What’s it like to watch the league’s continued growth?
“As somebody that’s going into my 25th year in the WNBA, it’s certainly gratifying, satisfying, all the things you could think of,” Reeve reflected.
There was a lot of volatility when the WNBA was founded in 1996, as with any growing sports league, she said. As it nears its 30th birthday, its trajectory is “exactly where we knew it could be,” and Reeve is “thrilled” to be part of it.
