The Minnesota Lynx Are Ready To Build Off of 2023, Focused on Defense and Guard Play

After missing the postseason in 2022, the first time out of the playoffs since Cheryl Reeve’s first season at the helm in Minnesota (2010), the Lynx bounced back in 2023, finishing 19-21 and meeting the Connecticut Sun in a first round matchup in the playoffs.

Napheesa Collier blossomed into a legitimate star, finishing 4th in MVP voting, showcasing the type of multifaceted skill set at the 4 spot that provides the foundation for a future title contender. Diamond Miller and Dorka Juhasz both showed glimpses of future promise as rookie starters. Re-signing Kayla McBride, a star level roleplayer, was pivotal in building off of the positives of a retooling year.

Just 5 players are back from last season’s team that played 20 games or more for the Lynx, the 4 players mentioned above and Bridget Carleton. The growth and development was essential, but there were also glaring holes that the front office felt needed to be addressed in the off-season.

“We were consistently in the bottom third defensively, and that just can’t happen if you’ve got goals to have a special season. The defense and the rebounding has to be a core of what you’re doing,” said head coach and president of basketball operations, Cheryl Reeve in a media availability this past week.

Minnesota finished 10th out of 12 teams in defensive efficiency in 2023. They toyed around with multiple defensive schemes, including a heavy amount of zone while trying to find a more solid base, but consistency was a struggle. The Lynx also finished 10th in defensive rebound rate and 6th in offensive rebound rate, often losing the possession battle.

“If we play a little better defense last year, we’re a top 4 seed,” continued Reeve.

Reeve also went on to discuss how often the Lynx lacked a reliable two-player game last season, but saw the fruits of what it could provide offensively when Lindsay Allen was healthy. 

With the players announced and introduced across the past week, Minnesota is addressing those needs while continuing to build out a frontcourt with length and versatility, one I can’t wait to watch find a groove in 2024.

Via trade, Minnesota brought in guard Natisha Hiedeman, and then signed Alanna Smith and Courtney Williams in free agency.

Hitting on the defensive portion, the Lynx finished dead last in the WNBA in block rate and 10th in steal rate according to Her Hoop Stats. Those numbers don’t mean everything, but they’re indicators that add brushstrokes to Minnesota’s film.

“I’m excited for Lan (Smith) as a rim protector, something we’ve had very little of since Sylvia Fowles retired… looking at what we can be defensively, getting a little more imposing in how we play, seeking deflections,” says Reeve.

Smith finished Top 15 in the league in both block and steal rate, as well as 24th overall in rebound rate. She brings an aggression along with her instincts, size, and length that can change the trajectory of a defense. When you factor in Collier, Miller, and Juhasz there’s so much size and versatility in this frontcourt. Everyone can handle the ball to varying degrees, make decisions with the ball, and score in differing ways. Minnesota’s defense is much more rooted in what they can be rather than what they have been, but there’s room to get really funky in ways that other teams without the same versatility can’t match up with.

Minnesota is in such a fascinating place where they’re still establishing what the identity and ethos of the team will be moving forward, but prioritizing length and quality decision-making is a trend I really. Size and skill is hard to beat when it works together cohesively.

The Lynx worked a lot with an inverted offense last season, playing through their frontcourt rather than their guards. Part of that was borne out of necessity, says Reeve, but it’s something they look to keep building on this season, and Smith could play a key part in that.

“We were doing things with KMac (McBride) as a screener, small to big screens in transition, things that were really fun to play in. I can see Lan bringing the ball up the court and playing the same way that Phee did, Courtney coming to set a screen for her… doing things that put the defense in a bind early in a possession,” says Reeve.

As mentioned earlier, playing out of the two-player game and in pick and roll is something the Lynx highly prioritized. They have the ability as a team to score out of the mid-range and the post effectively, but creating more efficient and easy offense routinely was something they deemed a must.

Courtney Williams brings the best threat they’ve had in the pick and roll in some time. Per Synergy Sports, out of 30 players in the league that ran 5 pick and rolls or more last season (including passes made), Williams finished 8th in pick and roll efficiency, a steady positive mark above the norm.

She found her best groove as a playmaker throughout her career with more empowerment in a higher paced offense that allowed her to play more out of the two player game.

Williams is one of the quickest guards in the league with the ball in her hands, but she also showcased her change of pace abilities at a high level in her lone season with Chicago. She can thrive by rejecting screens to get downhill, setting her defender into screens to open up her pull-up jumper, and did a good job of generating paint touches and painting the corners after drawing defensive help.

Considering this was her first season truly playing primarily as a lead guard, I couldn’t be more impressed, and I’m so intrigued to see how she can keep growing into that mold with Minnesota. The pockets she creates are quite sizable, and how she continues to take advantage of those has me excited for what Minnesota’s offense can evolve into.

“It’s gonna open up so much, I got Kayla McBride over there, a knockdown shooter. Then you gotta decide, who are you gonna guard, me or Phee off of this pick and roll? If you wanna leave the corner, boom, hit McBride over there. I’m excited,” says Williams of the potential of the pick and roll game.

Williams is also a tremendous rebounder, one of the best rebounding guards in league history as Reeve puts it, an indisputable fact in watching her play and her consistent numbers.

“Any coach will tell you they want to play fast, they want to play early, they want to get easy shots…well that all starts with your ability to defend and rebound. The times that we did get stops, we were really good, but we just didn’t do it enough. I want to add to that, I want to add to the frequency of our ability to get those stops and rebounds and play early,” says Reeve.

Reeve also expanded on Hiedeman and Williams as defenders, noting that both can play in the scheme, but is excited for what they can bring with ball pressure, noting how effective Hiedeman is at that already and that Williams has the ability to grow in that space. She notes that guard play was their biggest question last season, and they have more options now with the ability to diversify both sides of the ball.

Hiedeman is a 39.2% three point shooter on good volume, something the Lynx need after finishing 11th in three point percentage last season. Three point threat isn’t the same as shooting a solid percentage, but Minnesota’s offense could often be cramped given how their shooters were defended. Hiedeman brings a legitimate outside threat and option.

Williams and Smith both hit on how important it was to feel wanted as free agents. Smith is coming off a breakout season in Chicago and in the W at large, finding her footing with the first real opportunity to seek out a multi-year contract this free agent cycle. Being able to find a “second home” was crucial for her, an Australian playing basketball year round, who is rarely back in her home country, playing overseas in the Turkish League and Eurocup with Emlak from the start of October to a still ongoing season.

Feeling that love and commitment, shown in a 2-year protected contract from Minnesota, sold her on the Lynx, as well as the facilities, dedicated locker room and practice court, and training area.

“The Minnesota Lynx have been doing this for a while. We were the first to do it, the first to provide the facilities that we have, and we’ve had it since 2017,” said Reeve.

Williams echoes Smith’s sentiments on what she’s going to have access to this season with the Lynx.

“This is stuff I’ve never experienced, I’m going into my 9th year right now, and I’ve never experienced some of the things I’m about to,” says Williams, mentioning how exciting it was for her that there are chefs at the training facility. She can’t wait to have her mom around to soak that in with her.

“Sometimes in free agency, you don’t have options, you just have to go wherever honestly. I think this was my first free agency where I felt so much love… Minnesota did their big one. My decision was very easy.”