Natisha Hiedeman Is Back in the Midwest With a New Team and a New Perspective

Headed into her sixth year in the WNBA, Natisha Hiedeman is getting a fresh start after making her way to the Minnesota Lynx via trade. The team that drafted her back in the 2nd round of the 2019 draft made a late January swap with the Connecticut Sun, Hiedeman’s lone franchise played for, bringing her back to her MidWest roots.

Hiedeman came up in Green Bay, Wisconsin before attending Marquette, helping lead the Golden Eagles to the best season in school history her senior season when they earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA and climbed as high as 8th in the AP Poll.

Her shooting ability and change of pace play made her a special college athlete, the 2019 Big East Player of the Year. It’s also factored in heavily to her productivity as a professional, a 39.2% career shooter from 3, something Minnesota’s decisionmakers highly value. 

In the words of head coach and president of basketball operations, Cheryl Reeve, “Her light couldn’t be greener.”

Hiedeman is expected to bring guard depth, floor-spacing, and ball pressure on the defensive end as she teams back up with Courtney Williams again.

While Hiedeman is excited to take on a new experience and refresh in the W, her perspective is already changing significantly before she sets foot in Target Center.

She’s in her second year on Penn State’s staff, her first as an assistant after being a player development coach in 2022-23, working under Carolyn Kieger, her former head coach at Marquette.

“Coaching has helped me with being a better leader. Now, I’m a leader for 12, 13 girls, not only on the court, but off the court as well and helping mentor them,” says Hiedeman.

Now 27, she’s entering her prime as an athlete, but also steadily becoming a veteran in locker rooms and on the court.

She’s breaking down film and understanding the game differently as a coach as well. The game is slowing down for her as she approaches things from a more holistic view, looking at what each player is doing on the court. Why is a set working or not? How does each player impact an action?

“I’m seeing the whole game now, the whole big picture and the whole game… I can see this or that. That’s where coaching has really helped me the most and I think will translate to my game,” says Hiedeman.

She knows she’ll have an important role this coming season, regardless of whether that’s off the bench or in the starting lineup. Hiedeman admits that at times last season, she could overthink what she was doing and take herself out of the flow; this year will be about getting back to her game, stepping up and being consistent in her approach in all facets, as she puts it.

Hiedeman also brings a unique perspective on her new teammate, Diamond Miller. Miller excelled as a rookie, and was a standout player for Maryland in the Big Ten, helping the Terps to the Elite 8 last season. Hiedeman got a front row seat to Miller’s play in the Big Ten, seeing and scouting her in person with Penn State. She then got to play against her multiple times, including in the WNBA playoffs.

It’s rare to have that sort of encompassing understanding of another individual, a distinctive perspective forged by how the WNBA season is scheduled.

“Me and coach Kiegs (Kieger) were actually just talking about this… she (Diamond) has a motor, this drive, I can just see how competitive she is and me being a competitive person, we’re gonna make great teammates. We’re gonna have a common goal to win, no matter what,” says Hiedeman.

No player is exactly the same, but loose comparisons can be drawn between Miller and Hiedeman’s former teammate, Alyssa Thomas. Both played for Brenda Frese at Maryland, are bigger forwards that handle the ball, and bring a fiery edge to the court. It’ll be exciting to watch Miller continue to grow alongside a team that’s added a wealth of veteran talent this winter.

While Hiedeman is looking forward to her first season with the Lynx, the job isn’t done in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions are a No. 1 seed in the WBIT, just ousting George Mason in a competitive overtime game. You can watch Hiedeman and the Nittany Lions against the Belmont Bruins this coming Monday in a second round matchup on ESPN+ at 6pm EST.