Top Three Players Minnesota Lynx Could Lose in WNBA Free Agency

The Minnesota Lynx have a massive free agent class this offseason.

May 21, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; The Minnesota Lynx go the bench for a timeout in the first quarter of the game with the Dallas Wings at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The upcoming offseason will be the biggest in the WNBA's 29-year history. The expiration of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement and the negotiations that will follow almost surely means that players will be able to make more money than ever before when salary caps and overall player pay are renegotiated.

Paired with a free agent class that includes just about every non-rookie contracted player in the league, there's truly no telling what will happen.

For the Minnesota Lynx, one thing that could happen is the mass exodus of several key players. The Lynx were the best team in the regular season, with several stars showing out. With so many eyes on these standout performances, several players could look elsewhere as they seek to take home massive paydays under the terms of a new CBA, whatever those might be.

Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton (6) and guard Kayla McBride (21) react during the second half against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

Alanna Smith

The 2025 Co-Defensive Player of the Year made her mark on the Lynx this season. Smith led the team in average blocks, while third in both average steals and rebounds, and fourth in both assists and points. An all-around player that can shut down scoring on one end and put up points of her own on the other, Smith would be poised to shop around to other teams as an unrestricted free agent.

Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith (8) celebrates making a shot against the Phoenix Mercury in the second half during game two of the second round for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

A standout forward is a valuable position to have and while she's been on a team full of stars in the Lynx, Smith could lead her own team if decided to venture out. The Golden State Valkyries come to mind as a team in need of size that Smith could slot into and in the process jump on board one of the newest and most exciting teams in the league.

Kayla McBride

McBride is a talented shooter both inside the key and out of it and can make herself a fast-paced scoring threat. While she was the Lynx's second-best scorer with an average of 14.2 points per game, McBride came alive in the postseason, averaging 20 points per game and netted a postseason career high 31 point performance in Game Four of the semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury.

Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride (21) celebrates making a three point shot against the Phoenix Mercury in the second half during game one of the second round for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

McBride is one of the longest tenured Lynx on the roster, playing five seasons with the team, but she's no stranger to moving around either. McBride played for the Aces in the past, going back to the days when the team was the San Antonio Stars. McBride could ride the high of her explosive playoff performance and settle in as a well-paid shooter on a new roster.

Jessica Shepard

Among the Lynx's free agents, Jessica Shepard was the lowest paid in 2025 on a one-year, $78,000+ deal. Drafted by the Lynx 16th overall in 2019, Shepard has been a solid role player for the Lynx in the seasons since. She turned in a solid performance in 2025, averaging 8.0 points, 2.6 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per gam,e and came in third in Sixth Woman of the Year voting.

Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard (15) dribbles upcourt against the Golden State Valkyries in the first quarter at Chase Center. / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Shepard could depart from the team that drafted her in the offseason and find a team where she could have a more expanded role and a steadier place in the starting lineup. Shepard has seen her place in the starting lineup slip away over the years, going from 22 starts in 2022 to 17 in 2023 and then just 12 in 2025 after she missed all of 2024 due to a suspension for violating the WNBA CBA.

Shepard earned that suspension by prioritizing an overseas playing commitment over the WNBA season, violating the CBA. With a new agreement in place, Shepard could secure her future financially and find herself in the starting five more often at a different club.

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