Why Minnesota Lynx Free Agency Losses Might Not Be the Body Blow They Seem
The expansion draft and free agency were tough for the Minnesota Lynx. They lost Bridget Carleton, Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepard, Natisha Hiedeman, DiJonai Carrington, and Maria Kliundikova. Losing Smith and Shepard hurt especially, but it may not be quite as bad as it may seem.
The Lynx landed Olivia Miles with the second-overall pick in the draft despite finishing the regular season with the best record in the league, and they will welcome back a newly-crowned EuroLeague MVP to bolster the frontcourt.
Dorka Juhasz sat out the 2025 season in the W due to the wear-and-tear on her body from playing in Europe, in the W, and for the Hungarian national team year-round. Now, she looks ready to play her best WNBA season yet.
Juhasz averaged 12.8 points, 8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1 steal for Galatasaray Cagdas Factoring Istanbul over 18 EuroLeague games, and led her team to a date with a stacked Fenerbahce team in the EuroLeague finals. At 26, she is the youngest EuroLeague MVP winner to date.
Juhasz’s return could be huge for the Lynx
Cheryl Reeve said in a post-draft media availability a few days ago that Juhasz was expected to return to the Lynx for the 2026 season. Getting Juhasz back would be huge either way for a team that lost three of its four most important frontcourt players from last season, but it’s especially big after the season she just had.
Juhasz will be able to replace much of the size, rebounding, and versatility the Lynx lost with Smith’s and Shepard’s exits. She tied with Awak Kuier for the most total rebounds in the EuroLeague and shot the three at a much more efficient clip than the Lynx ever saw her do in her two WNBA seasons—36.6% during EuroLeague competition and 40% in the Turkish league.
Losing two starters, including the reigning co-DPOY, and a bunch of key reserves made for a brutal free agency period for the Lynx. But Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, Natasha Howard, Olivia Miles, and Dorka Juhasz still make for a pretty good group to build around and compete with.
The question is just whether it will be enough to truly contend with teams like the Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, Atlanta Dream, and Indiana Fever. Juhasz will be crucial to the Lynx’s efforts to keep up with players like A’ja Wilson, Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Bri Jones, Angel Reese, and Aliyah Boston, especially while Collier is still recovering from her ankle surgeries. But, ultimately, the Lynx’s overall success will all come down to Collier’s availability and ability to play at an MVP level.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.