On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
The roster for the Minnesota Lynx, including the training camp contracts, is rather stacked with few obvious needs. So the question is do they draft the best available, trade for a future draft pick, or draft a player for the future? Considering that we don’t know when we’ll see Maia Hirsch, or if Cecilia Zandalasini is coming back, the choices seem limited. Bringing in Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman certainly makes the point guard situation a little less tenuous.
Who Should the Minnesota Lynx Take in the Upcoming WNBA Draft?
Having Alanna Smith, and training campers Liz Dixon and Ruthie Hebard doesn’t make much room for another forward. If I ran the circus, I would use the first-round pick for a player worth keeping, and the third-round pick for a possible future roster spot. Several mock drafts have Aaliyah Edwards, Angel Reese, Isobel Borlase, and Nyadiew Puoch as possible first-round picks. Both Puoch and Borlase are 19 years old. I would be more inclined to look at either as a sign and stash for a later pick.
be ready. stay ready. trust your process.@lovediamond01 and @Dorkajuhasz14 share advice for the incoming draft class and reflect on their draft experience: pic.twitter.com/PghesrA7rz
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) April 10, 2024
If Edwards and/or Reese are available at No. 7, that would be a tough call. While Reese is a great rebounder, Edwards has a very nice mid-range shot, which gives her a slight edge offensively. Either one would be a plus for the Lynx. But as I said, given the lack of obvious needs, this is a very difficult first-round pick to second-guess. Personally, I’d go with Edwards, but admittedly I am a UConn fan, so that would be my selfishly objective pick.
Now, if there is some kind of backroom deal to be made to find a bona fide big, well, that would be a plus, as both Cameron Brink and Kamilla Cardoso will be long gone by the time the seventh pick comes around. But that is a pipe dream.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the world of sports.
More must-reads:
- Sparks receive significant update on 2024 rookie's return from injury
- Man sentenced to prison for stalking Caitlin Clark
- The 'NFL all-time touchdown receptions leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
WNBA Coach Involved in Caitlin Clark Incident Called a ‘Liar’
Still without Caitlin Clark, who has missed 14 games (including Commissioner's Cup championship) so far during the 2025 WNBA season, the Indiana Fever have improved to 14-12 and are in the midst of a two-game winning streak. Clark has missed the last four games for Indiana thanks to another groin injury. This also kept her out of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game when her team, Team Clark, fell to Team Collier. Caitlin Clark's Past With One WNBA Coach Even with Clark sidelined, the former Iowa guard received the most fan votes, earning All-Star captain honors. She selected her team during the All-Star draft and made headlines by orchestrating the first-ever All-Star coaching swap, trading Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve for New York Liberty’s Sandy Brondello. Clark and Reeve have had a bit of a history since Clark joined the league in 2024. She was notably left off Reeve's Team USA roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics, a decision that did not sit well with many. Reeve even downplayed questions about Clark's snub and impact on the WNBA last year. Cheryl Reeve Called Out For 'Lying' Still, despite the controversy, Christine Brennan, author of "On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports," was eager to hear the Lynx coach’s perspective on Clark’s rookie season. In a recent episode of "The Robin Lundberg Show," Brennan discussed her new book and shared how she approached Reeve for an interview. "I texted her, I called her PR people," Brennan said. "I got in touch with the PR, emailed the PR people. Went through USA basketball several times in May when that first story broke for USA Today, and then all the way through, including, I forget exactly when, but certainly December, maybe January, to give her an open opportunity to talk to me. I would have run the quotes at length." She went on to reveal that Reeve accused her of not "doing the due diligence," prompting Brennan to call the coach out. "Um, you know, if she didn't want to do that, okay, that's fine," Brennan added. "But when she said, I think at one point in that appearance she had that, well, I didn't do the due diligence. Oh, I so did the due diligence, and she knows that because she had the messages, including text messages, when I got her cell number. So, the lying Robin, it's it makes me sad to say this because I like Cheryl Reeve. I mean, the lies, you know, are there, and anyone can find them and see them." The Fever will be back in action on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET, facing the Phoenix Mercury. It is unclear if Clark will be able to play at the time of this article.
Steelers reporter shares big claim about how Aaron Rodgers has looked in training camp
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers spent the bulk of the spring as an unsigned free agent and, thus, only began officially practicing with Pittsburgh Steelers teammates during the team's three-day mandatory minicamp in June. During a Monday appearance on Pittsburgh radio station 102.5 WDVE, Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette addressed how Rodgers looked during his first few training camp practices with the club. "His release is just astonishing to watch," Dulac said about Rodgers, as shared by Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. "Everybody knows about it, and when you see it in person, you see it every day in practice, you just marvel at it. To me, he's the greatest thrower of the football I have ever seen, even at 41 (years old). That flick of that wrist and that ball comes out, it's moving and it is something to see." Rodgers was with the New York Jets when he suffered a torn Achilles four offensive snaps into the 2023 regular-season opener. He was then slowed by a nagging hip issue, injuries to both his knees, a low ankle sprain and a serious hamstring problem as the 2024 Jets went 5-12. According to Pro Football Reference, Rodgers finished last season ranked 28th in the NFL among qualified players with a 48.0 adjusted QBR and 26th with a 43.9 percent passing success rate. That said, he was also eighth with 3,897 passing yards and tied for seventh with 28 passing touchdowns. Rodgers and Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson endured some struggles during training camp sessions last summer before the two allegedly "never saw eye-to-eye" during the season. It sounds like Pittsburgh fans should be encouraged by how Rodgers performed in recent practices. "That guy can get rid of the ball as quick as anybody," Dulac added. "He made three throws in seven-on-seven (drills) the other day that the cumulative total I bet couldn't have exceeded 2.1 seconds. And two of those were for touchdowns." Rodgers wants to finish his career "the right way" and help the Steelers notch at least their first playoff win since January 2017. As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Pittsburgh at -150 betting odds to miss the playoffs for the upcoming season.
MarShawn Lloyd practice injury a reminder of health concerns for Packers RB
Green Bay Packers second-year running back MarShawn Lloyd had to have been experiencing deja vu on Monday afternoon in training camp. Most of his rookie season was cut short because of a string of injuries, and those injuries started during his rookie training camp. The Packers are hoping for big things out of Lloyd in year two — after all, they selected him in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of USC — but he's already getting banged up not even a week into training camp at Ray Nitschke Field. Lloyd was injured on the first day of padded practices, and head coach Matt LaFleur can't be too happy about how that injury took place. Early on in the first set of 11-on-11, new Packers cornerback signee Nate Hobbs tackled Lloyd low at the legs. It was a hit that would have been perfectly legal in a game, but it wasn't what LaFleur was looking for in this practice. “We need everybody to stay up on their feet,” LaFleur had said at the practice, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We’re not going to the ground today (full tackling). So, that’s the expectation that I have for our guys. And I love the competitive spirit out there, but I want them to take care of each other as well.” That hit sent Lloyd to the ground, and he injured his right leg in the process. He didn't practice for the rest of the day, and his injury status is unclear because the Packers don't update injuries on the same day they occur. The hit also sent Hobbs to the bench as an act of discipline by LaFleur. After the practice, the cornerback, who spent the first four years of his career with the Las Vegas Raiders, admitted that he knew he was wrong. “It wasn’t malicious. I didn’t see him until the last second. I got off a blocker. I just saw him. He got low and I got low and he hit me just as I got low. I didn’t get a chance to ask him about it, but I can't do that," Hobbs said.
Teased Trade Would Shake Up Oilers Youth Movement This Season
Matt Savoie is expected to play a major role in the Edmonton Oilers’ lineup this season—but that could change if the team shifts from development mode to all-in contention, where patience wears thin. In other words, the Oilers will start the season with Savoie a part of their youth movement, but if things turn south, he could be a trade candidate, derailing the organization’s summer plans. Allan Mitchell of The Athletic reports that Savoie, a former first-round pick, will be given every opportunity to earn a spot on one of the Oilers’ top two lines this fall. He’s done about all he can do in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors. Now, the 21-year-old winger appears ready to make the full-time jump to the NHL. A young player couldn’t ask for a better opportunity than to establish a strong foothold skating alongside Leon Draisaitl on Edmonton’s second line. “Draisaitl’s ability to perform well with anyone should be a great boost for the rookie Matt Savoie,” Mitchell wrote, adding that Savoie “likely gets the first big push” among Edmonton’s forward prospects. But there’s a catch. What Happens if Savoie Struggles? With fellow rookie Ike Howard also in the mix and Edmonton chasing a Stanley Cup, the Oilers may not have the luxury of developing two young wingers simultaneously. Mitchell suggests that if Savoie struggles to find his footing—or if the Oilers need immediate help—he could be “cashed for a more established veteran.” Does that lead the Oilers to abandon their game plan, with youth and experience working together as the key to winning? Edmonton wants speed and skill, with energy throughout the lineup. The Oilers tried established veterans last season, and it didn’t work. Going back to it if times get tough could be an issue in a couple of years’ time. Savoie’s offensive upside makes him an intriguing long-term piece, potentially even a future replacement for Zach Hyman on the top line. But Edmonton’s window to win is now, and GM Stan Bowman may be forced to choose between keeping a strong young player in the system or giving him up for a temporary fix. A trade involving Savoie would certainly shake up the Oilers’ youth strategy. The hope is that it never comes to that. The real test will be how patient the organization can be when he inevitably goes on a bit of a cold streak.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
