The 2019 Minnesota Lynx season was the 21st season for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the 10th season under head coach Cheryl Reeve.

The Lynx finished last season with a record of 18–16, finishing fourth in the Western Conference and seventh overall in the league, while qualifying for the playoffs, before ultimately being beat by Los Angeles in the first Round of the 2018 WNBA Playoffs.

On February 5, 2019, Maya Moore announced that she would not be playing in the 2019 season citing a need to spend more time with family and to focus on her ministry dreams. On March 14, the Lynx announced that they promoted Walt Hopkins to a full-time assistant coach, while also adding Plenette Pierson to an assistant coaching role.

Despite Moore's retirement, the Lynx started off the season strong, going on a three-game winning streak. However, they could not keep the momentum going, winning only three of their next nine games, including a four-game losing streak, to finish June with a 6–6 record. July proved to be more of the same, with the team winning their first three games in the month, but losing their last three and finishing 4–4 for the month. August was another up-and-down month. The Lynx finished 6–5 on the month, which included losing three games and then winning three games to finish the month. The team did manage to extend their three-game winning streak into a five-game winning streak, but lost their season finale.

Their final record of 18–16 earned them the seventh seed in the playoffs. They faced off against the sixth-seeded Seattle Storm. The Storm earned the right to host the game by winning the regular season series 3–1. Napheesa Collier scored a double double in her playoff debut, but it was ultimately not enough as the Lynx lost by ten points.

Collier's solid postseason continued when she won Rookie of the Year. Collier is the fourth Lynx player to win the award, and the first since Maya Moore.

Transactions

WNBA draft

Round Pick Player Nationality School/team/country 1 6Napheesa CollierConnecticut Huskies 2 16 Jessica Shepard Notre Dame 2 18 Natisha Hiedeman Marquette 2 20 Cierra Dillard Buffalo 3 30 Kenisha Bell Minnesota

Trades and roster changes DateTradeFebruary 1, 2019Signed F Karima Christmas-KellyFebruary 2, 2019Re-Signed G Seimone AugustusFebruary 8, 2019Signed F/C Damiris DantasFebruary 22, 2019Signed F Jillian AlleyneFebruary 28, 2019Re-Signed F Erlana Larkins and Signed F Kelsey Griffin April 10, 2019 Traded G Natisha Hiedeman to Connecticut in exchange for G Lexie Brown. April 11, 2019 Traded G Tanisha Wright to New York in exchange for a second round pick in the 2020 WNBA draft. April 17, 2019 Signed F Shao Ting April 22, 2019 Traded G Alexis Jones to Los Angeles in exchange for G Odyssey Sims. May 11, 2019 Waived G Cierra Dillard May 16, 2019 Waived G Taylor Emery May 21, 2019 Traded their third round pick in the 2020 WNBA draft to Chicago in exchange for C Alaina Coates Traded their second round pick in the 2020 WNBA draft to Phoenix in exchange for G Stephanie Talbot May 22, 2019 Waived F Erlana Larkins July 2, 2019 Signed F Asia Taylor and G Kenisha Bell July 13, 2019 Waived F Shao Ting and activated F Temi Fagbenle July 14, 2019 Waived C Alaina Coates July 19, 2019 Waived G Kenisha Bell July 25, 2019 Waived F Asia Taylor July 30, 2019 Signed F Jillian Alleyne to a 7-Day Contract August 6, 2019 Signed F Jillian Alleyne to a 2nd 7-Day Contract August 13, 2019 Signed F Jillian Alleyne to a 3rd 7-Day Contract August 22, 2019 Signed F Bridget Carleton to a 7-Day Contract

Additions Player Date Former team Karima Christmas-Kelly February 1, 2019 Dallas Wings Damiris Dantas February 8, 2019 Atlanta Dream Lexie Brown April 11, 2019 Connecticut Sun Odyssey Sims April 22, 2019 Los Angeles Sparks

Subtractions Player Date New team/reason Lindsay Whalen August 13, 2018 Retirement James Wade (assistant coach) November 18, 2018 Chicago Sky Head Coach Maya Moore February 5, 2019 Taking Year Off

Roster

Schedule

Preseason

| 1 | May 10 | Washington | W 86–79 | Sims (20) | Fowles (11) | Sims (7) | Target Center3,201 | 1–0 |- | 2 | May 19 | @ Las Vegas | W 79–75 | Sims (25) | Fowles (7) | Brown (7) | Cox Pavilion | 1–1

Regular season

| 1 | May 25 | Chicago | W 89–71 | Collier (27) | Shepard (13) | Shepard (6) | Target Center8,524 | 1–0 |- | 2 | May 29 | Seattle | W 72–61 | Sims (15) | Fowles (13) | Sims (5) | Target Center8,092 | 2–0

| 3 | June 1 | @ Dallas | W 70–67 | Dantas (20) | Fowles (12) | Sims (5) | College Park Center6,535 | 3–0 |- | 4 | June 4 | @ Seattle | L 77–84 | Collier (17) | Fowles (5) | Sims (6) | Angel of the Winds Arena5,711 | 3–1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 5 | June 6 | Phoenix | W 58–56 | Sims (15) | 3 tied (6) | Tied (3) | Target Center8,001 | 4–1 |- | 6 | June 8 | Los Angeles | L 85–89 | Brown (21) | Fowles (13) | Sims (7) | Target Center8,834 | 4–2 |- | 7 | June 12 | @ New York | L 69–75 | Fowles (16) | Fowles (11) | Robinson (7) | Westchester County Center1,181 | 4–3 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 8 | June 14 | Connecticut | L 81–85 | Sims (25) | Fowles (9) | Dantas (5) | Target Center8,803 | 4–4 |- | 9 | June 16 | Las Vegas | L 75–80 | Dantas (22) | Fowles (9) | Dantas (6) | Target Center8,392 | 4–5 |- | 10 | June 22 | New York | W 92–83 | Sims (20) | Fowles (10) | Dantas (5) | Target Center8,600 | 5–5 |- style="background:#cfc; | 11 | June 25 | @ Indiana | W 78–74 | Sims (25) | Fowles (11) | Sims (7) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse4,692 | 6–5 |- | 12 | June 30 | @ Dallas | L 86–89 | Sims (23) | Fowles (9) | Sims (8) | College Park Center4,521 | 6–6

|- style="background:#cfc; | 13 | July 2 | Atlanta | W 85–68 | Talbot (24) | Collier (11) | Sims (8) | Target Center8,208 | 7–6 |- | 14 | July 6 | @ Connecticut | W 74–71 | Sims (21) | Fowles (11) | Sims (8) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,076 | 8–6 |-style="background:#cfc; | 15 | July 10 | @ Chicago | W 73–72 | Sims (16) | Fowles (12) | Sims (4) | Wintrust Arena8,508 | 9–6 |-style="background:#fcc; | 16 | July 12 | @ Atlanta | L 53–60 | Robinson (14) | Fowles (12) | Sims (7) | State Farm Arena4,001 | 9–7 |- style="background:#cfc; | 17 | July 14 | Phoenix | W 75–62 | Sims (15) | Fowles (13) | Robinson (5) | Target Center8,801 | 10–7 |-style="background:#fcc; | 18 | July 17 | Seattle | L 79–90 | Brown (20) | Fowles (7) | Robinson (10) | Target Center8,403 | 10–8 |- | 19 | July 21 | @ Las Vegas | L 74–79 | Sims (19) | Collier (6) | Tied (4) | Mandalay Bay Events Center4,352 | 10–9 |- style="background:#fcc; | 20 | July 24 | Washington | L 71–79 | Brown (19) | Fowles (12) | Sims (4) | Target Center17,934 | 10–10

| 21 | August 3 | @ Indiana | L 75–86 | Fowles (17) | Collier (7) | Sims (5) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse7,884 | 10–11 |- | 22 | August 6 | @ Atlanta | W 85–69 | Collier (22) | Tied (11) | Collier (5) | State Farm Arena3,395 | 11–11 |- | 23 | August 9 | Connecticut | W 89–57 | Fowles (17) | Fowles (12) | Sims (9) | Target Center8,892 | 12–11 |- | 24 | August 11 | @ Washington | L 78–101 | Sims (20) | Collier (6) | Sims (8) | St. Elizabeth's East Arena4,200 | 12–12 |- | 25 | August 13 | @ New York | W 89–73 | Sims (17) | Fowles (8) | Sims (6) | Westchester County Center1,570 | 13–12 |- | 26 | August 16 | Washington | L 79–86 | Fowles (16) | Collier (9) | Tied (5) | Target Center8,803 | 13–13 |- | 27 | August 18 | @ Seattle | L 74–82 | Sims (30) | Collier (5) | Robinson (9) | Alaska Airlines Arena9,000 | 13–14 |- | 28 | August 20 | @ Los Angeles | L 71–81 | Brown (20) | Tied (7) | Collier (4) | Staples Center9,244 | 13–15 |- | 29 | August 22 | Dallas | W 86–70 | Collier (19) | Tied (7) | Dantas (8) | Target Center8,124 | 14–15 |- | 30 | August 25 | Las Vegas | W 98–77 | Tied (23) | Tied (6) | Robinson (8) | Target Center8,834 | 15–15 |- | 31 | August 27 | Chicago | W 93–85 | Fowles (25) | Fowles (12) | Sims (8) | Target Center8,092 | 16–15

| 32 | September 1 | Indiana | W 81–73 | Sims (17) | Collier (10) | 3 tied (4) | Target Center8,833 | 17–15 |- | 33 | September 6 | @ Phoenix | W 83–69 | Sims (22) | Fowles (11) | Sims (9) | Talking Stick Resort Arena12,140 | 18–15 |- | 34 | September 8 | @ Los Angeles | L 68–77 | Collier (16) | Collier (11) | Dantas (9) | Staples Center13,500 | 18–16

Playoffs

| 1 | September 11 | @ Seattle Storm | L 74–84 | Dantas (20) | Fowles (11) | Sims (5) | Angel of the Winds Arena5,011 | 0–1

Standings

Playoffs

Statistics

Regular season Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Odyssey Sims3434 31.9 41.5 26.9 79.5 3.45.4 1.4 0.114.5 Sylvia Fowles3434 29.558.8 0 70.78.9 1.5 0.91.4 13.6 Napheesa Collier343433.3 49.0 36.1 79.2 6.6 2.61.9 0.9 13.1 Danielle Robinson34 26 27.0 43.7 22.087.9 3.5 3.7 1.2 0.2 10.1 Damiris Dantas 26 26 25.7 43.239.3 73.1 4.5 3.2 0.7 0.6 9.2 Lexie Brown 33 0 18.3 40.2 38.5 78.9 1.4 1.4 0.9 0.0 7.6 Temi Fagbenle 18 0 15.1 37.0 32.6 72.2 2.9 0.8 0.3 0.3 5.4 Stephanie Talbot 33 9 17.0 37.0 32.6 87.1 2.4 1.2 0.9 0.3 5.2 Jessica Shepard 6 0 18.7 31.3 16.7 75.0 5.7 3.5 0.3 0.2 4.8 Seimone Augustus 12 7 13.0 31.3 16.7 75.0 0.6 1.3 0.4 0.1 3.8 Karima Christmas-Kelly 6 0 12.0 27.8 27.3 60.0 0.8 1.0 0.8 0.2 2.7 Bridget Carleton 4 0 2.8 50.0 50.0 0 0.3 0 0 0 0.8

Awards and milestones Recipient Award/milestone Date awarded Reference Odyssey Sims WNBA All-Star SelectionJuly 15, 2019 Sylvia Fowles Napheesa Collier WNBA All-Star Replacement Selection July 22, 2019 Danielle Robinson WNBA Community Assist Award - June July 23, 2019 Napheesa Collier WNBA Rookie of the Month - July August 1, 2019 WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week August 26, 2019 Rookie of the Year September 16, 2019 WNBA All-Rookie Team September 16, 2019 Cheryl Reeve WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award September 18, 2019

References