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As we continue into February and inch closer to March Madness and, eventually, the WNBA Draft, free agency moves continue to be made, and training camp rosters start to take shape ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Before those rosters are finalized and more additions are made, players continue to hit the hardwood across the globe, and that includes 14 Minnesota Lynx players who are under team control playing in either the United States or overseas this offseason.
Lynx players currently playing include Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, Alissa Pili, Bridget Carleton, Alanna Smith, Natisha Hiedeman, Dorka Juhász, Diamond Miller, Maïa Hirsch, Jessica Shepard and newcomers Marième Badiane, Grace Berger and Kiara Leslie.
This week, our Lynx Offseason Update includes one new face and another complete update on how the Lynx have performed over the past week. Let’s dive in!
Napheesa Collier — Lunar Owls (United States)
Collier has shined through the first three weeks of the Unrivaled season, dominating both offensive and on the glass. Now, about halfway through the season, Collier has led Unrivaled in scoring all year long while averaging a double-double.
Though there were no team games over the past week, Collier shined in the 1-on-1 tournament, taking home first place after beating Aaliyah Edwards in the Finals round to claim the grand prize of $200,000.
Season Stats:
8 games — 29.3 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 17.5 MPG
Recent Games:
Feb. 3 vs. Vinyl (85-68 win): 36 points (13-18 FG, 0-1 3pt, 6-6 FT), 12 rebounds, five assists, and four steals over 17 minutes
Feb. 7 vs. Phantom (94-78 win): 20 points (8-14 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT), six rebounds, three assists, and two steals over 17 minutes
Feb. 8 vs. Mist (85-81 win): 38 points (16-27 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 5-5 FT), 15 rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block over 19 minutes
Kayla McBride — Laces (United States)
McBride has been a walking bucket, as normal, so far in the Unrivaled season, and she has paced Laces to a strong start to the year while sitting second among players in scoring behind only Napheesa Collier.
Over the past week, McBride and Laces didn’t play any team games due to the 1-on-1 tournament taking place. McBride participated in the tournament, falling to DoJonai Carrington back in the first round.
This past week, we also learned that McBride will be heading back to Istanbul once the Unrivaled season concludes, returning to play for Fenerbahçe in March.
Season Stats:
6 games — 24.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 19.5 MPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 27 vs. Rose (71-64 win): 31 points (8-18 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 5-5 FT), nine rebounds and three assists over 20 minutes
Jan. 31 vs. Lunar Owls (75-73 loss): 26 points (9-14 FG, 6-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and one steal over 17 minutes
Feb. 1 vs. Rose (83-69 loss): 20 points (7-15 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds and two assists over 14 minutes
Courtney Williams — Lunar Owls (United States)
As we have seen with the Lynx in the WNBA, Williams has been the spark plug and energy generator for Lunar Owls so far in Unrivaled, distributing the ball well while also being able to help her squad with her shot when needed.
Over the past week, Williams and the Lunar Owls didn’t play as a team, but the guard showed out in the 1-on-1 tournament while falling to Napheesa Collier in the quarterfinal round. With Collier winning, however, Williams and the rest of the Lunar Owls players did take home $10,000 each.
Season Stats:
8 games — 10.3 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.6 RPG, 0.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 8.4 MPG
Recent Games:
Feb. 3 vs. Vinyl (85-68 win): 10 points (3-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and three assists over six minutes
Feb. 7 vs. Phantom (94-78 win): 19 points (7-13 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), five assists and four rebounds over eight minutes
Feb. 8 vs. Mist (85-81 win): nine points (4-7 FG, 1-1 FT), five assists, two rebounds, and one steal over seven minutes
Natisha Hiedeman — Laces (United States)
After starting the Unrivaled season with Phantom, Hiedeman shifted squads when she was reassigned to Laces to join Lynx teammate Kayla McBride on one of the top teams in the league at the moment.
Over the past week, Hiedeman and Laces didn’t take the court in any contests due to the 1-on-1 tournament, which Hiedeman didn’t play in.
Season Stats:
5 games — 6.2 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 6.2 MPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 27 vs. Rose (71-64 win): no points (0-1 FG) over two minutes
Jan. 31 vs. Lunar Owls (75-73 loss): two points (1-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and one rebound over three minutes
Alissa Pili — Team Nurse (United States)
Pili has gotten off to a nice start with Athletes Unlimited, playing in three games over the past week as part of Team Nurse.
Though she had a bit of a quieter week than we saw to begin the season, Pili still reached double figures in one game and contributed on both ends of the floor.
Season Stats:
6 games — 11.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 26.5 MPG
Recent Games:
Feb. 12 vs. Team Siegrist (97-79 loss): no points (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and one assist over 10 minutes
Feb. 14 vs. Team Bradford (73-71 loss): 12 points (4-9 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block over 28 minutes
Feb. 15 vs. Team Harris (93-73 loss): eight points (3-10 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds and two blocks over 24 minutes
Bridget Carleton — ÇBK Mersin (Turkey)
Now, with Carleton playing with ÇBK Mersin in Turkey after starting the offseason with UNI Györ in Hungary, Carleton has continued to put together a strong offseason thus far.
Over the past week, Carleton took the court in two Turkey-KBSL contests, reaching double figures in both while providing a lift on both ends of the floor for her Turkish club.
Season Stats:
With ÇBK Mersin:
Turkey-KBSL: 6 games — 9.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 34.2 MPG
Euroleague: 4 games — 11.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 34.0 MPG
UNI Györ:
Hungary-A Division: 5 games — 12.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 31.2 MPG
Euroleague: 2 games — 15.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 36.0 MPG
Recent Games:
Feb. 12 vs. Tarsus (77-66 win): 14 points (4-11 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds, four assists, one block, and one steal over 33 minutes
Feb. 15 vs. OGM Ormanspor (65-57 win): 11 points (4-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal over 35 minutes
Alanna Smith — Shandong (China)
Smith has been all over the globe over the course of her WNBA career, currently playing for Shandong in China. During her career, Smith has played in Australia, Poland, and Turkey before landing with her current Chinese squad.
Over the past week, Smith took her play up a notch while posting two 30-10 double-doubles over a trio of impressive performances.
Season Stats:
China-WCBA: 31 games — 17.8 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.2 SPG
Recent Games:
Feb. 10 vs. Zhejiang (104-86 loss): 35 points (15-22 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals
Feb. 13 vs. Fujian (94-76 win): 34 points (14-22 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 11 rebounds, four steals and two assists
Feb. 15 vs. Sichuan (91-71 loss): 19 points (8-14 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT), six rebounds and one steal
Dorka Juhász — Famila Schio (Italy)
Juhász is back in Italy again this year, coming off a strong campaign with Famila Schio last offseason and looking to build upon that this season as she prepares for her third WNBA campaign in 2025.
As the offseason progresses, Juhász has continued to play well in Italy-Serie A1 and Euroleague action, though she didn’t appear in any games over the past week.
Season Stats:
Italy-Serie A1: 9 games — 8.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 19.7 MPG
Euroleague: 7 games — 9.7 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 25.9 MPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 28 vs. Bourges (84-72 win): 13 points (4-6 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 2-4 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks over 31 minutes
Feb. 1 vs. Campobasso (69-56 win): 10 points (3-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, and one block over 29 minutes
Diamond Miller — Gorzow Wielkopolski (Poland)
Miller had her season cut short last offseason while dealing with a knee injury, only appearing in three games in Hungary before returning to Minnesota to rehab her injury. This offseason, she has done well in her first full healthy offseason.
Over the past week, Miller didn’t take the court while her squad has a bit of a break period, returning to action Feb. 22.
Season Stats:
Poland-OBLK: 10 games — 17.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 28.3 MPG
EuroCup: 4 games — 12.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 31.5 MPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 19 vs. Poznan (78-74 loss): 17 points (7-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds and three assists over 27 minutes
Marième Badiane — Fenerbahçe (Turkey)
Badiane is one of the newest members of the Lynx to be added to this offseason update series, following Minnesota announcing the signing of the French center when the free agency signing period opened on Feb. 1.
With Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe, where she spent time with Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride, Badiane appeared in one game over the past week and put together her best showing of the year with a season-high 30 points.
Season Stats:
Turkey-KBSL: 9 games — 15.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 28.7 MPG
Euroleague: 12 games — 5.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 17.0 MPG
Recent Games:
Feb. 12 vs. Bodrum (107-37 win): 30 points (12-16 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, six assists and one steal over 27 minutes
Jessica Shepard — Athinaikos AS Vurona (Greece)
Some may have forgotten about Shepard since she didn’t play in the WNBA in 2024 on a suspended contract while remaining overseas, but the veteran is still under control of the Lynx.
Shepard had continued to shine in Greece while playing with Athinaikos AS Vurona, though she didn’t appear in any contests over the past week.
Season Stats:
Greece-A1: 13 games — 27.4 PPG, 15.9 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 34.0 MPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 26 vs. Giannena (95-85 win): 27 points (10-14 FG, 7-11 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists and two blocks over 39 minutes
Feb. 1 vs. Panathlitikos (97-77 win): 25 points (11-17 FG, 3-6 FT), 21 rebounds, five assists and one steal over 39 minutes
Maïa Hirsch — ESB Villeneuve (France)
Hirsch has yet to appear with the Lynx or in the WNBA after being drafted 12th overall by Minnesota in 2023 but is still under team control as she remains in France with ESB Villeneuve.
So far this offseason, Hirsch hasn’t seen a high level of production in France-BWL action, some of that due to the lack of minutes on the court in France. Over the past week, Hirsch didn’t appear in any action on the court with ESB Villeneuve.
Season Stats:
France-BWL: 6 games — 3.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.5 BPG, 12.8 MPG
EuroCup: 2 games — 8.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 0.5 APG, 19.0 MPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 5 vs. Landerneau (81-65 win): no points (0-0 FG) and three rebounds over six minutes
Grace Berger — OGM Ormanspor (Turkey)
Berger, another new member of the Lynx, was claimed off waivers by Minnesota after the former seventh-overall pick was waived by the Indiana Fever earlier this offseason.
While playing with OGM Ormanspor in Turkey, Berger appeared in one game over the past week while putting together another balanced performance in Turkey-KBSL action.
Season Stats:
Turkey-KBSL: 18 games — 13.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 35.7 MPG
Recent Games:
Feb. 15 vs. ÇBK Mersin (65-57 loss): 12 points (5-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and seven rebounds over 40 minutes
Kiara Leslie — Gigantes de Carolina (Puerto Rico)
Leslie is the newest member of the Lynx, signing a training camp contract with Minnesota over the past week. Leslie was originally drafted by the Washington Mystics 10th overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft, last playing in the WNBA in 2021.
Leslie has played overseas in Egypt, France, Israel, and Russia throughout her career, most recently playing in Puerto Rico in Puerto Rice-BSNF action as part of Gigantes de Carolina. Last playing with the club on Oct. 28, Leslie did a little bit of everything for her Puerto Rican squad over 20 contests.
Season Stats:
Puerto Rico-BSNF: 20 games — 18.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 35.6 MPG
That will do it for this week. As always, thank you for reading! We will catch up with you next week with another Lynx Offseason Update.
