It’s that time of the week for a new Lynx Offseason Update!
As the 2026 begins and Unrivaled subsequently gets underway, a few more Minnesota Lynx players have returned to the court for the first time this offseason. But for other Lynx players who have already been playing overseas, this past week was a week of championships across the globe.
With the addition of a few more players, 11 of the 12 Lynx players planning to play this offseason are back on the hardwood.
The 12 Lynx players are Courtney Williams, Alanna Smith, Natisha Hiedeman, Kayla McBride, Bridget Carlton, Jessica Shepard, Maia Hirsch, Dorka Juhász, Maria Kliundikova, Anastasiia Olairi Kosu, Camryn Taylor and Jaylyn Sherrod. Napheesa Collier, who was supposed to take part in Unrivaled, will miss the season due to having surgery on both ankles and missing a total of 4-6 months in recovery.
Let’s take a look at where those Lynx players are playing — and who is the last one yet to start — how they’ve done as of late and how they are performing so far this offseason.
Courtney Williams — Vinyl (Unrivaled)
Williams has returned to Unrivaled for the second season after being one of the first 32 players to make up the inaugural season a year ago. After spending last season with the Lunar Owls, Williams is on a new squad this season while suiting up for Team Vinyl.
With Vinyl, Williams has gotten off to a bit of a slower start offensively but has done a nice job in distributing and contributing on the boards through three games. She had her best game of the season on Jan. 11 against fellow StudBudz talent, Natisha Hiedeman.
Season Stats:
Unrivaled: 3 games — 8.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 0.3 BPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 5 vs. Laces (58-42 loss): eight points (4-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt), five rebounds, three assists and one block over 11 minutes
Jan. 9 vs. Rose (69-67 loss): four points (2-7 FG), five rebounds and five assists over 11 minutes
Jan. 11 vs. Hive (89-66 win): 12 points (5-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt), eight rebounds and seven assists over 15 minutes
Alanna Smith — Mist (Unrivaled)
For the first time as a professional player, Smith is spending her offseason playing the United States rather than overseas like she has always done.
Smith has begun the season on The Mist, and she has helped her squad to a 2-0 start to the year while contributing offensively and on the boards while also being a lockdown presence in the paint defensively.
Season Stats:
Unrivaled: 2 games — 9.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.0 BPG, 0.5 APG
Recent Games:
Jan. 5 vs. Hive (72-56 win): 10 points (5-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt), six rebounds, five blocks and one assist over 11 minutes
Jan 10 vs. Laces (83-81 win) : eight points (4-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt), five rebounds and one block over 10 minutes
Natisha Hiedeman — Hive (Unrivaled)
Hiedeman has also returned to Unrivaled for the second straight season after bouncing around to three different teams — Phantom, Laces and Rose — during the inaugural season. Hiedeman concluded the year with Rose and helped them to an Unrivaled Championship.
With Hive, one of the two newest teams to Unrivaled in 2026, Hiedeman has cooled off after a strong opening night performance, but continues to give her team with a spark when needed.
Season Stats:
Unrivaled: 3 games — 4.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.6 SPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 5 vs. Mist (72-56 loss): nine points (4-7 FG, 1-3 3Pt), four rebounds one assist and one steal over 11 minutes
Jan. 9 vs. Breeze (73-62 loss): no points (0-4 FG), three rebounds and one assist over seven minutes
Jan. 11 vs. Vinyl (89-66 loss): three points (1-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt), two assists and one steal over six minutes
Kayla McBride — Fenerbahçe (Turkey)
McBride is back at her second home in Turkey while returning to play for Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe. Though some expected her to return to play in Unrivaled this offseason, McBride chose to start the offseason overseas with a team that is special to her.
McBride has continued to find success from deep for her squad this offseason. Over the past week, she was taking part in Turkish Cup tournament, helping Fenerbahçe to three wins and a Cup Championship once again.
Season Stats:
Turkey-KBSL: 8 games — 12.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.4 APG, 0.8 SPG
EuroLeague: 6 games — 15.8 PPG, 3.8 APG, 2.7 RPG, 1.8 SPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 6 vs. Nesibe (109-56 win): 10 points (4-9 FG, 2-6 3Pt), three assists and one rebound over 19 minutes
Jan. 9 vs. CBK Mersin (84-66 win): 10 points (4-9 FG, 2-4 3Pt), five rebounds and three assists over 25 minutes
Jan. 11 vs. Galatasaray (86-66 win): no stats available at the time of this story
Bridget Carleton — USK Praha (Czech Republic)
Carleton is in a new country this offseason, adding her seventh country she’s played in during her career along with Australia, Spain, Franco, Hungary, Israel and Turkey.
Carleton has done a little bit of everything in Czech Republic-ZBL and EuroLeague action this offseason, leaving her mark on multiple areas of the game like we’ve become used to seeing with the Lynx. Over the past week, Carleton had one of her best outings of the offseason in one Czech Republic-ZBL contest.
Season Stats:
Czech Republic-ZBL: 7 games — 11.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.4 SPG
EuroLeague: 5 games — 10.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 10 vs. SBS Ostrava (112-42 win): 19 points (7-11 FG, 5-8 3Pt), seven rebounds, two blocks and one assist over 22 minutes
Jessica Shepard — Famila Schio (Italy)
Shepard is in a new country this offseason after spending last offseason in Greece, taking the court with Italian power Famila Schio. She has played in Greece, Israel and Italy so far in her career.
Shepard has put up some impressive numbers in Italy this offseason, once again being a double-double machine like we’ve been accustomed to seeing. Over the past week, Shepard helped her squad to a Italian Cup Championship.
Season Stats:
Italy-Serie A1: 11 games — 17.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.2 SPG
EuroLeague: 8 games — 15.1 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.3 SPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 6 vs. Derthona (79-72 win): 16 points (7-10 FG), eight rebounds and one assist over 27 minutes
Jan. 10 vs. Broni (81-40 win): 19 points (6-9 FG), seven rebounds, three assists and one steal over 24 minutes
Maria Kliundikova — UMMC Ekateringburg (Russia)
Kliundiokva, who was a midseason arrival for Minnesota and ended up with a nice role off the bench for the Lynx, is back in her home country of Russia this offseason playing for UMMC Yekateringburg alongside soon-to-be second-year Lynx forward Anastasiia Olairi Kosu.
Kliundikova has put together a balanced offseason so far, helping her squad offensively and on the boards while also impacting other areas of the game. Over the past week, she took the floor in a pair of convincing victories.
Season Stats:
Russia-PBL: 11 games — 12.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 7 vs. Dynamo NR (112-69 win): no stats found at the time of this story
Jan. 11 vs. Sparta&K (97-73 win): no stats found at the time of this story
Dorka Juhász — Galatasaray (Turkey)
Juhász is spending her WNBA offseason in a new country, playing in Turkey this season rather than Italy like we’ve seen in the past. Juhász, who sat out the 2025 WNBA campaign while remaining overseas, is still under contract with Minnesota through 2026.
Juhász has made an impact on both ends of the floor in both Turkey-KBSL and EuroLeague action, putting together balanced a showing in Turkey. Over the past week, Juhász was in Turkish Cup action, helping her team to a pairs of wins and ultimately falling to Kayla McBride and Fenerbahçe in the Cup Final.
Season Stats:
Turkey-KBSL: 9 games — 13.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.8 BPG
EuroLeague: 10 games — 12.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 7 vs. Besiktas (77-68 win): two points (1-8 FG, 0-3 3Pt), seven rebounds, two blocks and one assist over 29 minutes
Jan. 9 vs. Emlak Konut (66-64 win): DNP
Jan. 11 vs. Fenerbahçe (86-66 loss): no stats available at the time of this story
Anastasiia Olairi Kosu — UMMC Ekateringburg (Russia)
Kosu is back home in Russia this offseason, playing with fellow Lynx teammate Maria Kliundikova with UMMC Yekateringburg.
Kosu, who Minnesota is hoping continues to develop leading into her second WNBA campaign, has gotten off to a nice start in Russia this offseason. Over the past week, she put together two double-digit outings in a pair of victories.
Season Stats:
Russia-PBL: 9 games — 12.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 7 vs. Dynamo NR (112-69 win): 14 points (6-7 FG), three rebounds and one assist over 23 minutes
Jan. 11 vs. Sparta&K (97-73 win): 14 points (3-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt), eight rebounds, one assist and one steal over 23 minutes
Maia Hirsch — Charleville-Mezieres (France)
We have yet to see Hirsch in the WNBA after being drafted by the Lynx in the first round of the 2023 WNBA Draft, but she continues to play in France this offseason as she continues to develop.
After an up-and-down offseason last year, Hirsch is off to a nice start to this offseason with some additional time on the floor as well. Over the past week, Hirsch contributed a bit offensive and on the boards in around 15 minutes of action in both contests.
Season Stats:
Franco-BWL: 11 games — 7.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
EuroLeague: 6 games — 7.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Recent Games:
Jan. 7 vs. Landerneau (72-56 win): three points (1-2 FG, 1-1 3Pt), three rebounds and one assist over 18 minutes
Jan. 11 vs. Bourges (80-66 loss): six points (2-8 FG, 0-2 3Pt) and one rebound over 16 minutes
Camryn Taylor — Landerneau (France)
Taylor, who joined the Lynx late in the 2025 WNBA season and was part of the playoff run, has moved from Greece last offseason to France and Landerneau Bretagne Basket this year.
Taylor had a slow start to the offseason schedule, but has picked things up as of late with two straight double-digit outings. However, Taylor hasn’t appeared in any of the seven games since last playing on Nov. 29.
Season Stats:
France-BWL: 6 games — 5.2 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.2 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Recent Games:
Nov. 29 vs. Angers (75-67 win): 12 points (5-6 FG, 2-2 3Pt), two rebounds and one block over 19 minutes
Not Yet Underway
While the players listed above have already begun their seasons across the globe, one more Lynx player will remain in the country and will take part in Athletes Unlimited.
Jaylyn Sherrod is playing in the country this offseason, taking part in Athletes Unlimited’s fifth season.
Sherrod will be one of 40 players participating in the fast-paced, full-court, 5-on-5 league that begins in early February in Nashville.
That will do it for this week. As always, thank you for reading! We will catch up with you next week with another Lynx Offseason Update.