The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team based in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, playing in the Western Conference in the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...

(WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

, and

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

. Founded prior to the 1999 season, the team is owned by

Glen Taylor Glen Allen Taylor (born April 20, 1941) is an American billionaire business magnate and politician from Minnesota. A self-made businessman, Taylor made his fortune from being the founder and owner of Minnesota-based Taylor Corporation, one of th ...

, who is also the majority owner of the Lynx'

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

counterpart, the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

. The franchise has been home to players such as

Katie Smith Katie Smith (born June 4, 1974) is lead assistant coach for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is the former head coach of the New York Liberty. A retired professional basketball player, Smith's prima ...

, Seimone Augustus, native Minnesotan Lindsay Whalen,

Maya Moore Maya April Moore (born June 11, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx, who is currently on sabbatical. Naming her their inaugural Performer of the Year in 2017, ''Sports Illustrated'' called Moore the greates ...

Rebekkah Brunson Rebekkah Brunson (born December 11, 1981) is an American basketball coach, currently an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Brunson is a former forward for the Lynx and is the only playe ...

, and

Sylvia Fowles Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles (born October 6, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. Fowles played for the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx during her career in the WNBA. She won the WNBA MVP Award in 2017 and the WNBA Defensive Pl ...

. The Lynx have qualified for the WNBA playoffs in twelve of their twenty-one years. They currently hold a WNBA record ten consecutive playoff appearances.

Franchise history

Joining the league (1998–2004)

On April 22, 1998, the WNBA announced they would add two expansion teams (Minnesota and the Orlando Miracle) for the 1999 season. The team was officially named the Minnesota Lynx on December 5, 1998. The Lynx started their inaugural season in 1999 with 12,122 fans in attendance to watch the first regular-season game against the Detroit Shock at Target Center. The Lynx defeated Detroit 68–51 in the franchise's first game. They finished their first season 15–17 overall and held the same record in 2000. In 2001, the Lynx took a turn for the worse as they posted a 12–20 record. The Lynx' first head coach,

Brian Agler Brian Agler (born August 2, 1958) is an American women's professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Dallas Wings from 2019 to 2020. He also had previously been head coach of the Seattle Storm and the Los Angeles Sparks, each of whom ...

, was released during the 2002 season after compiling a 47–67 record in three-plus seasons.

Heidi VanDerveer Heidi Elizabeth VanDerveer (born February 11, 1964) is a women's basketball collegiate and professional coach. She is currently the women's basketball head coach at UC San Diego. A native of Chautauqua, New York, VanDerveer was a four-year letter- ...

became the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The team finished the 2002 season with a 10–22 record, worst in franchise history (until 2006). In 2003, the Lynx hired

Suzie McConnell-Serio Suzie McConnell-Serio (born July 29, 1966) is a former American women's basketball coach and player. She was the head coach for the women's basketball team at the University of Pittsburgh from 2013 to 2018. In 2004, she was named WNBA Coach of th ...

as head coach. She led the team to finish with a franchise-best 18–16 record and advanced to the WNBA Playoffs for the first time. They matched both of these feats in the 2004 season.

Seimone Augustus joins the team (2005–2007)

The 2005 season was one of transition for the franchise. Leading scorer

was dealt to Detroit in July and the team stumbled down the stretch, missing the playoffs for the first time in three years. The poor finish did pay off however, as the team won the draft lottery and selected All-American guard Seimone Augustus of

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

with the first overall pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft. The Lynx began the 2006 season as the youngest team in the WNBA. On May 31, the team set the WNBA single-game scoring record (at the time), routing the

Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was foun ...

by a score of 114–71. Despite this victory and with her team floundering to an 8–15 record, head coach McConnell-Serio resigned on July 23. She was replaced by assistant Carolyn Jenkins, who piloted the squad to a 2–9 finish. The team's 24 losses set a franchise record. Following the season, Augustus was named the 2006

WNBA Rookie of the Year The Women's National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the 1998 WNBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel ...

. Her 21.9 points per game is still a WNBA rookie record. The 22-year-old was the second player in team history to win the award. On December 13, 2006, the Lynx named veteran

assistant

Don Zierden Donald Casper Zierden, Jr. is an American basketball coach. From 2007 to 2009, Zierden served as the head coach of the Minnesota Lynx in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Early life and education Zierden, a Minneapolis native, ...

their fifth head coach. In the 2007 WNBA Draft, the Lynx traded center

Tangela Smith Tangela Nicole Smith (born April 1, 1977) is a retired American basketball player in the WNBA. Smith played the bulk of her career for the Sacramento Monarchs and the Phoenix Mercury where she won two WNBA Championships. She's currently an assis ...

, whom they acquired in the dispersal draft from the

Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007. The Sting was originally the sister organization of ...

, to the

Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the league ...

for point guard

Lindsey Harding Lindsey Marcie Harding (born June 12, 1984) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. She serves as player development coach of the Sacramento Kings. Throughout her playing career, Harding played for the Minnesota Lynx, Was ...

, who had been selected first overall. The Lynx began the 2007 season 0–7, lost ten straight in July and failed to get into the playoff race. They finished tying a league-worst 10–24 record. On November 1, 2007, assistant coach and former head coach Carolyn Jenkins was named Director of Player Personnel of the WNBA.

Hot starts without results (2008–2009)

The 2008 season started out much different for the Lynx than in previous years. They came flying out of the gates, going 7–1 in the first five weeks of the season. The Lynx then cooled off. They managed to play competitive basketball all season, but lost many key games down the stretch. The Lynx finished with a 16–18 record in a tough Western Conference where every team was in the playoff chase until the final week of the season. The Lynx however, did not qualify. After two consecutive 10–24 seasons, the 2008 Lynx was a step in the right direction. In 2009, Zierden resigned just days before the start of the season.

Jennifer Gillom Jennifer "Grandmama" Gillom (born June 13, 1964) is an American former Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) basketball player who played for the Phoenix Mercury from 1997 to 2002, before finishing her playing career with the Los Angeles ...

who replaced

Teresa Edwards Teresa Edwards (born July 19, 1964) is an American former women's basketball player and four time Olympic gold medalist. In 2000, ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine placed her as 22nd of the "100 Greatest Female Athletes of the 20th Century". She ...

as an assistant coach the previous year, was promoted to head coach. Another Zierden Lynx assistant, former NBA player

Jim Petersen James Richard Petersen (born February 22, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player, and a current television analyst with the Minnesota Timberwolves. From 2009 to 2017 he served as an assistant coach and later associate head coac ...

stayed with Gillom during the season, working with post players Charde Houston and Nicky Anosike. The Lynx saw similar results in 2008. They started with a good run (7–3), but lost many key games, including a six-game losing streak, and finished 14–20, out from the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

A new team and the first championship (2010–2011)

After five disappointing seasons, the off-season brought much more impact to the franchise. The team hired former Detroit Shock assistant coach

Cheryl Reeve Cheryl Reeve (born September 20, 1966) is an American basketball head coach and President of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. Reeve has coached the Lynx to four league championships. In WNBA history, she has the highest ...

as their new head coach, parting ways with

, who took the head coaching job of the

. The Lynx also made some moves in the off-season by selecting

in the

Sacramento Monarchs The Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009. They played their home games at ARCO Arena. The Mona ...

dispersal draft A dispersal draft is a process in professional sports for assigning players to a new team when their current team ceases to exist or is merged with another team. Like most other sports drafts, most dispersal drafts are conducted in North America. ...

, and trading their first overall pick of the

2010 WNBA Draft The 2010 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 8, 2010. The first round was shown on ESPN2 ( HD), while the second and ...

and

Renee Montgomery Renee Danielle Montgomery (born December 2, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player, sports broadcaster and activist who is currently vice president, part-owner, and investor of the Atlanta Dream, and one of three owners of th ...

to the

Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was established ...

for former Minnesota Gopher Lindsay Whalen and the second overall pick. They added free agent

Hamchétou Maïga Hamchétou Maïga-Ba (born 25 April 1978 in Bamako) is a Malian professional women's basketball player most recently with the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. She is also a member of the Mali women's national basketball team. At Old Dominion Maïga w ...

to the lineup, and selected

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

guard Monica Wright with the second pick in the 2010 Draft. With these off-season transactions, the Lynx looked forward to a much improved 2010 season, which was echoed by the eighth annual WNBA general manager poll – 45% of the general managers declared the Lynx the most-improved team as the 2010 season began. Gov

The selection of

during the 2011 WNBA Draft led many people to believe the Lynx to be championship contenders for the 2011 season. The team finally lived up to expectations in 2011, behind stellar play from Seimone Augustus,

, Moore, and Whalen, all of whom were named to the 2011 Western Conference All-Star Team. The Lynx went into the All-Star break with a 10–4 record, good for first place in the conference. After losing to Phoenix in a 112–105 contest at Target Center on July 13, the Lynx went on a nine-game winning streak, at the time a franchise record and the longest in the league for 2011. The team finished with a 27–7 record, best in the WNBA and in team history. The Lynx earned the top overall

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

in the

2011 WNBA Playoffs The 2011 WNBA Playoffs was the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 2011 season. Four teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs seeded 1 to 4 in a tournament bracket, with the two openin ...

. In the first round, they defeated the

San Antonio Silver Stars The San Antonio Stars were a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Starzz before the ...

two-games-to-one in the

best of three There are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the ''single elimination'', the ''best-of-'' series, the ''total points series'' more commonly k ...

series. The Lynx then swept the

in two games to win their first conference championship. In the

Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

, the Lynx trailed at halftime in each game, but rallied each time to sweep the

Atlanta Dream The Atlanta Dream are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded for the 2008 WNBA season. The team is owned by real ...

in three games, securing their first WNBA title, and the first professional championship for the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota Twins won the World Series in 1991. Seimone Augustus was named Finals MVP.

Road to more championships (2012–2017)

In 2012, the team began the season 10–0, a franchise and league record. They clinched a playoff berth on August 19, 2012, just 21 games into the season. The team fell to the

Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the 2000 season began. The team is owned ...

in the 2012 WNBA Finals. The Lynx used both the loss in the Finals and prognosticators' pre-season focus on the

's new phenom,

Brittney Griner Brittney Yevette Griner (; born October 18, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women's natio ...

, to motivate themselves for the 2013 season. The Lynx once again had the best record in the West. They completed their comeback, sweeping through the playoffs en route to their second

championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...

in three years, once again defeating the

, showing why she's now a superstar in the WNBA, won the 2013

WNBA Finals MVP The Women's National Basketball Association Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the league's inaugural season. During the first four years of the league, the Houston Come ...

. In doing so, the Lynx became the second WNBA team and fifth major professional sports franchise to sweep through the postseason. In 2014, the Lynx again had a successful regular season, claiming the second best record in the league, second only to Griner and the Mercury. However, in the playoffs, the Mercury bested them 2–1 in a three-game series, and the Lynx failed to make the finals for the first time since the 2010 season. In 2015, two-time Defensive Player of the Year

of the

Chicago Sky The Chicago Sky are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 20 ...

held out of her contract until her wish was granted in July to play for Minnesota. The Lynx would go on to win their third franchise title, all three of them in a five-year span dating back to 2011. Fowles proved herself to be a crucial addition, earning finals MVP honors. Fowles2-20170914

After winning the WNBA title in 2015, the Lynx qualified to the 2016 WNBA Playoffs as the top seed with a franchise record 28–6 finish, only entering in the semifinals to face the Phoenix Mercury. Due to the Target Center entering a renovation, the team moved to the

Xcel Energy Center Xcel Energy Center (also known as "The X") is a multipurpose arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Completed in 2000, it is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 17,954, the arena has four ...

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

, where the Lynx played the 2017 regular season. A sweep of the Mercury qualified the Lynx for their fifth finals in six years, with the adversary being the Los Angeles Sparks. The Lynx would not repeat their title, as the Sparks edged out the Lynx in a five-game series, eventually winning game 5 by 1 point. On August 12, 2017, the Lynx set two WNBA records in their 111–52 defeat of the Indiana Fever: largest margin of victory (59 points) and longest unanswered scoring run (37 consecutive points). The Lynx finished as the top seed in the league, finishing 27–7. In the semi-finals, the Lynx defeated the

Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was founded pri ...

in a three-game sweep to advance to the WNBA Finals for the sixth time in seven years. The Lynx avenged 2016's Finals loss to the Sparks by defeating them in five games to win their fourth championship in seven seasons and tying the now-defunct

Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Houston. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. They are one of two ...

for most WNBA championship titles.

End of a dynasty (2018-present)

In 2018, with back-up point guard

leaving in free agency to sign with the

and a now aging roster intact, the Lynx would start falling way short of championship contention. Although Moore, Fowles, Augustus and Brunson made All-Star appearances, the Lynx finished as the number 7 seed in the league with an 18–16 record. This was the first time in 8 years where the Lynx did not finish as a top 2 seed. Lindsay Whalen also announced her retirement prior to the playoffs. The Lynx started off their playoff run against the rival Los Angeles Sparks in the first round elimination game. They lost 75–68, ending their run of three consecutive Finals appearances, and it was Whalen's final career game. In 2019 and 2020, however, the Lynx would produce players that won

Uniforms

The home uniforms are white with blue and silver trim. The team jerseys bear the logo of the team's jersey sponsor, the

Mayo Clinic The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...

, in blue. The road uniforms are blue with silver and white trim and the sponsor logo written in silver. The Lynx previously used an

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...

uniform that was standard throughout the league, but the WNBA partnered with

Nike, Inc. Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...

for eight years beginning in 2018. The Lynx are also one of 11 WNBA teams sponsored by

Verizon Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in ...

, whose logo is also prominently featured on their uniforms. During the 2016 season, the white uniforms were temporarily replaced by a new silver uniform. This was part of a league-wide initiative for its 20th season, in which all games featured all-color uniform matchups.

Lynx Foundation

The Minnesota Lynx Foundation holds an annual "Catwalk for a Cure" event at the

Mall of America Mall of America (MOA) is a large shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States. Located within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the mall lies southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway ...

during the WNBA's Breast Health Awareness Week to raise funds for

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

related charities. The 2011 event was held Aug. 5 and raised $5,000 for

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Susan G. Komen (formerly known as Susan G. Komen for the Cure; originally as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; often simply as Komen) is a breast cancer organization in the United States. Komen focuses on patient navigation and advo ...

. In 2012, the Lynx hosted the Catwalk for a Cure at the

rotunda for the first time, occupying the largest staging area inside the country's biggest mall. In addition to displaying outfits, Lynx players ended the show with a dance based on the song "Background" by

Lecrae Lecrae Devaughn Moore (born October 9, 1979), mononymously known as Lecrae, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record and film producer, record executive, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the president, co-owner and co-founder of the ind ...

and

Andy Mineo Andrew Aaron Mineo (born April 17, 1988), is an American Christian hip hop artist, producer, music executive, and video director based in New York City. He is signed to Reach Records and his creative initiative Miner League. In addition to ...

. The Lynx Foundation donated a $5,000 grant to the SAGE program, run by the Minnesota Department of Health. During the WNBA's 2013 Breast Health Awareness Week and in partnership with the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation, the Lynx game against the Indiana Fever on August 25 was a "Pink Out" game at

Target Center Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...

and on August 29, the 5th annual "Catwalk for a Cure" event was held at the

. The Lynx donated a $10,000 grant to the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation.

Season-by-season records

Players

Roster

Other rights owned

FIBA Hall of Fame

Retired numbers

Team officials

Owners

, owner of the

(1999–present)

Head coaches

President of Basketball Operations

(2022-Present)

General managers

(1999–2002) * Roger Griffith (2003–2017) *

(2018–2022) * Clare Duwelius (2022-Present)

Assistant coaches

(1999–2001) *Kelly Kramer (1999–2002) * Nancy Darsch (2003–2005) * Carolyn Jenkins (2003–2005, 2007) * Jim Lewis (2006) *Susan Yow (2006) *

(2007) *Ed Prohofsky (2007–2008) *

(2008) *

Julie Plank Julie Plank is an American basketball coach, most recently of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Career Previously, Julie Plank was the head coach of the Washington Mystics for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Pla ...

(2008) * Jim Davis (2009) *

(2009–2016) * Shelley Patterson (2010–2019) *

James Wade James Martin Wade (born 6 April 1983) is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He became the youngest player to win a major PDC title, when he won the 2007 World Matchplay at the ...

(2017–2018) * Walt Hopkins (2017–2019) *

Plenette Pierson Plenette Michelle Pierson (born August 31, 1981) is a retired American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In the 2007 season, Pierson won the first ever S ...

(2019–2022) *

(2020–present) *

(2020–present)

Statistics

, - ! style="width:8%;", PPG ! style="width:8%;", RPG ! style="width:8%;", APG ! style="width:8%;", PPG ! style="width:8%;", RPG ! style="width:8%;", FG% , - ,

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

, B. Reed (16.4) , B. Reed (6.0) , Sonja Tate, S. Tate (3.1) , 63.6 vs 66.0 , 28.3 vs 32.1 , .389 vs .425 , - , - ! style="width:8%;", PPG ! style="width:8%;", RPG ! style="width:8%;", APG ! style="width:8%;", PPG ! style="width:8%;", RPG ! style="width:8%;", FG% , - ,

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

, K. Smith (20.2) , B. Lennox (5.6) , K. Smith (2.8) , 68.5 vs 68.4 , 27.2 vs 30.5 , .421 vs .429 , - ,

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

, K. Smith (23.1) , S. Abrosimova (6.7) , K. Paye (3.0) , 64.9 vs 67.4 , 31.3 vs 31.8 , .371 vs .390 , - ,

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

, K. Smith (16.5) , T. Williams (7.4) , T. Moore (3.0) , 62.6 vs 65.8 , 30.0 vs 28.6 , .410 vs .413 , - ,

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

, K. Smith (18.2) , T. Williams (6.1) , T. Edwards (4.4) , 70.0 vs 69.7 , 31.7 vs 29.1 , .442 vs .425 , - ,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

, K. Smith (18.8) , T. Williams (6.0) , H. Darling (3.5) , 63.7 vs 64.4 , 31.1 vs 30.5 , .404 vs .408 , - ,

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

, N. Ohlde (11.2) , N. Ohlde (5.7) , K. Harrower (2.8) , 65.0 vs 67.3 , 30.1 vs 31.0 , .412 vs .427 , - ,

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, S. Augustus (21.9) , T. Williams (5.6) , A. Jacobs (3.4) , 74.2 vs 80.4 , 33.6 vs 35.4 , .427 vs .434 , - ,

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

, S. Augustus (22.6) , N. Ohlde (6.1) , N. Quinn (4.4) , 77.5 vs 80.9 , 34.8 vs 32.9 , .412 vs .450 , - ,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, S. Augustus (19.1) , N. Anosike (6.8) , L. Harding (3.2) , 81.4 vs 80.0 , 33.7 vs 35.6 , .430 vs .439 , - ,

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, N. Anosike (13.2) , N. Anosike (7.4) , N. Anosike (2.7) , 80.3 vs 83.1 , 32.0 vs 34.3 , .420 vs .461 , - , - ! style="width:8%;", PPG ! style="width:8%;", RPG ! style="width:8%;", APG ! style="width:8%;", PPG ! style="width:8%;", RPG ! style="width:8%;", FG% , - ,

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, S. Augustus (16.9) , R. Brunson (10.3) , L. Whalen (5.6) , 78.7 vs 82.1 , 35.2 vs 34.9 , .397 vs .446 , - ,

, S. Augustus (16.2) , R. Brunson (8.9) , L. Whalen (5.9) , 81.5 vs 73.6 , 36.5 vs 30.1 , .461 vs .413 , - ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, S. Augustus (16.6) , R. Brunson (8.9) , L. Whalen (5.4) , 86.0 vs 76.2 , 37.8 vs 30.9 , .473 vs .407 , - ,

, M. Moore (18.5) , R. Brunson (8.9) , L. Whalen (5.8) , 82.9 vs 73.5 , 36.9 vs 32.2 , .474 vs .405 , - ,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, M. Moore (23.9) , R. Brunson (8.2) , L. Whalen (5.5) , 81.6 vs 77.2 , 35.2 vs 32.6 , .467 vs .423 , - ,

, M. Moore (20.6) , S. Fowles (8.3) , L. Whalen (4.2) , 75.5 vs 71.7 , 35.3 vs 33.1 , .441 vs .414 , - ,

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

, M. Moore (19.3) , S. Fowles (8.5) , M. Moore (4.2) , 85.8 vs 77.0 , 35.8 vs 30.7 , .471 vs .417 , - ,

, S. Fowles (18.9) , S. Fowles (10.4) , L. Whalen (4.1) , 85.4 vs 74.2 , 35.2 vs 30.2 , .478 vs .424 , - ,

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

, M. Moore (18.0) , S. Fowles (11.9) , D. Robinson (3.3) , 78.9 vs 78.3 , 35.3 vs 31.1 , .451 vs .445 , - ,

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, O. Sims (14.5) , S. Fowles (8.9) , O. Sims (5.4) , 78.4 vs 75.9 , 34.0 vs 31.1 , .451 vs .434 , - , - ! style="width:8%;", PPG ! style="width:8%;", RPG ! style="width:8%;", APG ! style="width:8%;", PPG ! style="width:8%;", RPG ! style="width:8%;", FG% , - ,

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, C. Dangerfield (16.2) , S. Fowles (9.7) , C. Dangerfield (3.6) , 84.4 vs 80.6 , 34.4 vs 30.9 , .456 vs .447 , - ,

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

, N. Collier (16.2) , S. Fowles (10.1) , L. Clarendon (5.7) , 82.7 vs 78.7 , 34.9 vs 32.5 , .458 vs .424 , - ,

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, S. Fowles & A. Powers (14.4) , S. Fowles (9.8) , M. Jefferson (4.9) , 82.4 vs 83.9 , 36.9 vs 32.4 , .450 vs .439

Media coverage

Lynx games are broadcast on either

Bally Sports North Bally Sports North is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as a Bally Sports affiliate. The channel broadcasts coverage of sporting events involving teams located in the Upper Midwest region, with a focu ...

or Bally Sports North Plus. Broadcasters for the Lynx television games are Marney Gellner and Lea B. Olsen. Lynx games are carried on Bob 106.1 FM; John Focke broadcasts radio games (and LiveAccess feeds). All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on

ESPN3.com ESPN3 (formerly ESPN360 and ESPN3.com) is an online streaming service owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which operates the network, through its 80% controlling ownership interest) and Hearst Communications ...

) are broadcast to the

WNBA LiveAccess The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...

game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Lynx games are broadcast nationally on

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

ESPN2 ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%). ESPN2 was initially fo ...

and

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

. The WNBA has reached an eight-year agreement with

, which will pay right fees to the Lynx, as well as other teams in the league.

All-time notes

Regular season attendance

*A sellout for a basketball game at

is 18,798. *A sellout for a basketball game at

is 17,954.

Arenas

1999–2016, 2018–present *

Williams Arena Williams Arena is an indoor arena located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the home arena for the University of Minnesota's men's and women's basketball teams. It also housed the men's hockey team until 1993, when it moved into its own building ...

2007 one regular season game, 2017 playoffs *

2016 Semi Final playoffs, 2017 regular season

Draft picks

*1999 Expansion Draft: Brandy Reed (1), Kim Williams (3), Octavia Blue (5), Adia Barnes (7) *1999: Tonya Edwards (7), Trisha Fallon (19), Andrea Lloyd (31), Sonja Tate (43), Angie Potthoff (49) *2000: Grace Daley (5), Betty Lennox (6), Maylana Martin (10), Marla Brumfield (22), Keitha Dickerson (24), Phylesha Whaley (38), Jana Lichnerova (54), Shanele Stires (56) *2001: Svetlana Abrosimova (7), Erin Buescher (23), Tombi Bell (39), Megan Taylor (55) *2002: Tamika Williams (6), Lindsey Meder (38), Shárron Francis (54) *2003

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

Dispersal Draft: Sheri Sam (2) *2003: Teresa Edwards (14), Carla Bennett (29) *2004

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Dispersal Draft: Helen Darling (7) *2004: Nicole Ohlde (6), Vanessa Hayden (7), Tasha Butts (20), Amber Jacobs (33) *2005: Kristen Mann (11), Jacqueline Batteast (17), Monique Bivins (37) *2006: Seimone Augustus (1), Shona Thorburn (7), Megan Duffy (31) *2007

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

Dispersal Draft: Tangela Smith (2) *2007: Noelle Quinn (4), Eshaya Murphy (15), Brooke Smith (23), Kathrin Ress (24) *2008: Candice Wiggins (3), Nicky Anosike (16), Charde Houston (30) *2009

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Dispersal Draft: Roneeka Hodges (4) *2009: Renee Montgomery (4), Quanitra Hollingsworth (9), Rashanda McCants (15), Emily Fox (30) *2010

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

Dispersal Draft: Rebekkah Brunson (2) *2010: Monica Wright (2), Kelsey Griffin (3), Gabriela Marginean (26) *2011: Maya Moore (1), Amber Harris (4), Jessica Breland (13), Kachine Alexander (26) *2012: Devereaux Peters (3), Damiris Dantas (12), Julie Wojta (18), Kayla Standish (19), Nika Baric (20), Jacki Gemelos (31) *2013: Lindsey Moore (12), Sugar Rodgers (14), Chucky Jeffery (24), Waltiea Rolle (36) *2014: Tricia Liston (12), Asya Bussie (15), Christina Foggie (24), Asia Taylor (36) *2015: Reshanda Gray (16), Shae Kelley (35) *2016: Jazmon Gwathmey (14), Bashaara Graves (22), Temi Fagbenle (35) *2017: Alexis Jones (12), Lisa Berkani (24), Tahlia Tupaea (36) *2018: Ji-Su Park (17), Kahlia Lawrence (24), Carlie Wagner (36) *2019: Napheesa Collier (6), Jessica Shepard (16), Natisha Hiedeman (18), Cierra Dillard (20), Kenisha Bell (30) *2020: Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (6), Crystal Dangerfield (16) *2021: Rennia Davis (9) *2022: Kayla Jones (22), Hannah Sjerven (28)

All-Stars

*1999: Tonya Edwards *2000: Betty Lennox, Katie Smith *2001: Katie Smith *2002: Katie Smith *2003: Katie Smith *2004: Katie Smith *2005: Katie Smith *2006: Seimone Augustus *2007: Seimone Augustus *2008: No All-Star Game *2009: Nicky Anosike, Charde Houston *2010: Rebekkah Brunson, Lindsay Whalen *2011: Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen *2012: No All-Star Game *2013: Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen *2014: Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen *2015: Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen *2016: No All-Star Game *2017: Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore *2018: Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore *2019: Napheesa Collier, Sylvia Fowles, Odyssey Sims *2020: No All-Star Game *2021: Napheesa Collier, Sylvia Fowles *2022: Sylvia Fowles

Olympians

*2000: Katie Smith, Kristi Harrower (AUS), Annie La Fleur (AUS) *2004: Katie Smith, Kristi Harrower (AUS), Nuria Martinez (ESP) *2008: Seimone Augustus, Nuria Martinez (ESP) *2012: Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Rachel Jarry (AUS), Damiris Dantas (BRA) *2016: Anna Cruz (ESP), Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Rachel Jarry (AUS) *2020: Napheesa Collier, Sylvia Fowles, Bridget Carleton (CAN), Natalie Achonwa (CAN)

Honors and awards

*2000 ''Rookie of the Year'': Betty Lennox *2000 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Katie Smith *2000 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Betty Lennox *2001 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Katie Smith *2002 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Katie Smith *2003 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Katie Smith *2004 ''Coach of the Year'': Suzie McConnell Serio *2004 ''Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award'': Teresa Edwards *2006 ''Rookie of the Year'': Seimone Augustus *2006 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Seimone Augustus *2006 ''All-Rookie Team'': Seimone Augustus *2007 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Seimone Augustus *2008 ''Sixth Woman of the Year'': Candice Wiggins *2008 ''All-Rookie Team'': Nicky Anosike *2008 ''All-Rookie Team'': Candice Wiggins *2009 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Nicky Anosike *2009 ''All-Rookie Team'': Renee Montgomery *2010 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Rebekkah Brunson *2010 ''All-Rookie Team'': Monica Wright *2011 ''WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player'': Seimone Augustus *2011 ''Rookie of the Year'': Maya Moore *2011 ''Coach of the Year'': Cheryl Reeve *2011 ''All-WNBA First Team:'' Lindsay Whalen *2011 ''All-WNBA Second Team:'' Seimone Augustus *2011 ''Peak Performer (Assists)'': Lindsay Whalen *2011 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Rebekkah Brunson *2011 ''All-Rookie Team'': Maya Moore *2012 ''Peak Performer (Assists)'': Lindsay Whalen *2012 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Seimone Augustus *2012 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Lindsay Whalen *2012 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Maya Moore *2013 ''WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player'': Maya Moore *2013 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Maya Moore *2013 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Lindsay Whalen *2013 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Seimone Augustus *2013 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Rebekkah Brunson *2014 ''Most Valuable Player'': Maya Moore *2014 ''Peak Performer (Points)'': Maya Moore *2014 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Maya Moore *2014 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Seimone Augustus *2014 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Lindsay Whalen *2014 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Maya Moore *2015 ''WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player'': Sylvia Fowles *2015 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Maya Moore *2016 ''Defensive Player of the Year'': Sylvia Fowles *2016 ''Coach of the Year'': Cheryl Reeve *2016 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Maya Moore *2016 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2016 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2017 ''Most Valuable Player'': Sylvia Fowles *2017 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2017 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Maya Moore *2017 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2017 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Rebekkah Brunson *2017 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Maya Moore *2017 ''WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player'': Sylvia Fowles *2018 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Maya Moore *2018 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Rebekkah Brunson *2018 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2018 ''Peak Performer (Rebounds)'': Sylvia Fowles *2019 ''Rookie of the Year'': Napheesa Collier *2019 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Odyssey Sims *2019 ''All-Rookie Team'': Napheesa Collier *2019 ''Executive of the Year'': Cheryl Reeve *2020 ''Rookie of the Year'': Crystal Dangerfield *2020 ''Coach of the Year'': Cheryl Reeve *2020 ''All-Rookie Team'': Crystal Dangerfield *2020 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Napheesa Collier *2020 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Napheesa Collier *2021 ''Defensive Player of the Year'': Sylvia Fowles *2021 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2021 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2022 ''Peak Performer (Rebounds)'': Sylvia Fowles *2022 ''Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award'': Sylvia Fowles *2022 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2022 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Sylvia Fowles

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control Women's National Basketball Association teams Basketball teams established in 1998 Basketball teams in Minnesota Sports in Minneapolis 1998 establishments in Minnesota