MINNEAPOLIS — Much of the offseason for the Minnesota Lynx has been marred by the departures of players who had all become endeared figures in the local community. As the dust of free agency settles throughout the league, the final tally sees all five of Minnesota’s starters from a year ago on some kind of max contract, while four crucial role players head to other markets for hefty contracts as well.
The respect interpreted from the money invested in the now former Lynx players is a feather in the cap for an organization that prides itself on player development and building team chemistry. It has also clouded the return of the three all-stars and franchise icons who met with the media Friday afternoon at the team’s practice facility at Mayo Clinic Square in downtown Minneapolis.
Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams have all signed on to return to the Lynx in 2026. Collier signed a one-year super max contract worth $1.4 million, McBride and Williams both signed identical two-year deals on max contracts worth $1.2 million per year.
The bittersweet feeling is bound to hang heavy over the team’s training camp, which opens on Sunday, but won’t distract the Lynx from their championship aspirations and goals to build the next special group of players.
“It’s bittersweet. I think it’s a testament to how great we were as a group, all of us getting million dollar contracts,” McBride said. “[It’s] crazy, you know, and we want to see them thrive and succeed and be happy. I think for us, we were so connected and had so much chemistry because there was so much love, and it’s still the same. We’re happy for them getting their bag, doing their thing, but what we had is so special and that’s the hard part. Obviously, you want to continue to build on that, but more than happy for our teammates and our sisters.”
Through a laugh, Williams admitted to feeling ‘so sick about it,’ in regards to members of the team needing to go their separate ways. She weighted her emotions against the reality of well-deserved contracts for a special group of veterans.
“I’m so sick about it, but like [McBride] said, we want to see them thrive,” she added. “It’s time for them to go get as much money as they can, so we’re happy for them.”
No one across the league outside the team facility is going to feel ‘sick’ for the dismantling of a squad that won 64 games over the last two regular seasons. The focus for the Lynx now shifts to building on their established nucleus while maximizing the potential of their new additions.
“We know the chemistry we have, especially with the three of us playing together for so many years now,” Collier said. “Then also adding the new people that we’re adding, it’s going to be really exciting to see what they bring to the table.
“Olivia [Miles] and her point guard skills, I know [McBride]’s already talking about how she can’t wait to be found open on the three [point line]. Really it’s going to be fun to build out the chemistry we already have here, and then add our new pieces as well.”
The addition of Miles is one that had all three veterans on the podium buzzing. Collier, who will be missing the first chunk of the season to recover from surgeries on both ankles, has yet to hit the floor with Miles in any practice runs. McBride and Williams, however, have had the privilege, and even though it’s only been a day or two, the rookie is receiving some rave reviews.
“Hooper, for sure,” McBride said when asked about her initial thoughts on her rookie teammate. “We had some pickup yesterday, her reads and the feel that she has for the game, obviously I was a fan, especially when she was at Notre Dame. She had a great season this past season as well. I’ve been around her and I’ve been around her energy, but to actually be on the court with her is a whole different feel. I know when she really gets acclimated and comfortable, it’s gonna be a lot of fun to watch … I think she’s gonna adjust really, really well. We’re excited for sure after one day of pickup.”
Miles making a quick adjustment to the professional level would go a long way towards the Lynx navigating the difficult waters of playing successfully without Collier. Williams, never one to lack confidence herself, had little hesitation in instilling the same confidence in her new running mate.
“We were in the locker room, I was like, ‘yo, you cold!’” Williams said, describing her post-pickup game interaction with Miles. “She’s gonna be a problem.”
The questions of how the Lynx will replace the plethora of outgoing production, and how to play without their MVP candidate for an extended period of time, will come to light as the season gets underway. McBride and Williams have had to navigate those waters before when Collier missed time over each of the past two seasons. They ultimately helped the Lynx to a 3-2 record in five games without her in 2024, and 7-4 in 11 games without her last season.
“I think we bring out the best in each other,” McBride said when asked about returning to the place she’s called her WNBA home since 2021. “We enjoy competing with one another. All of our fans, I think we’ve built something really strong. We just want to keep building on it. Whatever it looks like.”
To the outside, the Lynx who are about to embark on the 2026 season may look different than last year’s No. 1 seed.
“The top,” Williams said without hesitation when asked how the Lynx stack up to the rest of the league after free agency. “We’re at the top. That’s what we think.”
“Ain’t nothing changed,” McBride added.
Maybe the more the Lynx change, the more they stay the same.
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