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ESPN Gives Minnesota Lynx Optimistic WNBA Title Chances

The Lynx are receiving high expectations for their first round series against the Valkyries.

Grant Mona

Sep 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) celebrates making a three point shot against the Golden State Valkyries in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Sep 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) celebrates making a three point shot against the Golden State Valkyries in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Lynx have positioned themselves as one of the favorites to win the WNBA title in 2025, but it began with their fantastic regular season.

Sure, Napheesa Collier has been an MVP candidate and one of the best players in the league, but for the Lynx, several other players played critical roles in their success.

Courtney Williams has been the floor general for Minnesota, leading the team in assists with 6.2 per game, and was third in scoring at 13.6 points per game.

Kayla McBride is a veteran All-Star who gave the Lynx a significant three-point threat, being the second-leading scorer at 14.2 points per game and shooting an impressive 39.5 percent from three-point range.

ESPN Gives Lofty Expectations for the Lynx

With the playoffs around the corner, and the Lynx set to face off with the Golden State Valkyries, ESPN gave Minnesota a 91.6 percent chance of beating Golden State, with their title odds set at 50 percent.

"Despite being the league's best team all year, the Lynx are playing with a chip on their shoulder. Losing in last year's Finals was painful, especially how the series ended -- in a winner-take-all Game 5 after which the Lynx questioned the officiating. Last year's disappointment gives Minnesota extra motivation," they wrote.

The depth of the Lynx could be the difference outside of MVP candidate Napheesa Collier though, and ESPN mentioned that, "With players such as Williams, McBride, Smith and Natisha Hiedeman, the Lynx boast some of the WNBA's best depth, which helped them keep a winning record (5-2) even when Collier was injured for three weeks in August. Opponents face an unrelenting rotation of players throughout the game, and it all helped result in a dominant regular season."

So Why Do the Lynx Have the Advantage?

The Valkyries have had a fantastic season, reaching the playoffs in their inaugural year, with one of the best home-court advantages in the WNBA, if not the best.

But the talent on the court is why the Lynx have been the top seed all season in the WNBA, and why Cheryl Reeve and Napheesa Collier are so highly regarded.

The Lynx swept the season series from the Valkyries, with three of the four games being double-digit victories.

With Collier averaging 21.3 points per game against Golden State, their frontcourt poses many issues for the Valkyries. Still, with a top-ranked offense and defense, Minnesota should be able to take care of business.

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Grant Mona
GRANT MONA

Grant Mona is a multimedia sports journalist based in Los Angeles, covering multiple teams. He is a co-host and producer on The Sporting Tribune Today on The BET Las Vegas, KIRN 670 in Southern California and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network. He formerly played baseball with the University of the Pacific Tigers.

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