Minnesota Lynx Start Climb Back To Another WNBA Finals Appearance

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Joe Rutland | Last updated Apr 29, 2025 10:01 PM ET

The Minnesota Lynx put together quite a stellar 2024 season, reaching the WNBA Finals before losing to the eventual champion New York Liberty. That setback, though, acts as fuel for the Lynx this season.

Players gathered together on Sunday to open up preseason practices. All Lynx fans will have their eyes on Kayla McBride to lead this team yet again. But the roster also is full of rookies, too.

Besides McBride, four other starters from last season's impressive squad return. They are Courtney Williams, Napheesa Collier, Bridget Carleton and Alanna Smith.

Lynx kept core players entering 2025

The Lynx made sure to retain a few other core players, according to KSTP. Diamond Miller, Dorka Juhász and Natisha Hiedeman will be back. Look for forward Jessica Shepard to make solid contributions in the upcoming season.

Cheryl Reeve on her offseason plan of disappearing to recharge

“I had every intention of saying no to some things and then I couldn’t say no to this, or I couldn’t say no to that. So I did a couple things, then I went off the grid… I did a better job of feeling like I could… pic.twitter.com/F4g0Ch5xwC
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) April 29, 2025

Additions for the Lynx include center Marieme Badaine and guard Karlie Samuelson.

The Lynx have a few days to get ready for their first preseason game against the Chicago Sky, who have Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith on the roster, on May 5.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve on preseason

What does Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve think about preseason games? She offered her thoughts at a media press conference on Tuesday.

“I think last year this time, when the preseason games started and the level of enthusiasm from our fans wanting to watch preseason basketball … the league saw that there was an appetite for that and so it’s a nice evolution for the league,” Reeve said, according to Sportskeeda,

The WNBA fan base has certainly grown over the past couple of seasons. It's fair to say that the inclusion of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has provided a big boost. But teams like the Lynx, who consistently perform well in the league, can make a case for helping grow the sport.

The Lynx now turn to focus to preparing for the season ahead, with their eyes squarely locked on making another run to capture the WNBA title.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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