Most of the top teams in the WNBA were active in the offseason. New York added Natasha Cloud to its championship roster, the Dream signed Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner, Phoenix built a new big three by trading for Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally, and Las Vegas essentially replaced Kelsey Plum with Jewell Loyd.
Compared to that, the Lynx’s offseason was incredibly uneventful. The biggest moves the Lynx made over the winter were trading for Karlie Samuelson and signing Jessica Shepard to support the core that carried the team to the finals last year. While that may not seem like much, adding Shepard to the roster was actually hugely impactful and helped boost the Lynx’s title chances without creating much fanfare.
Shepard proved her value quickly, scoring in double-figures and grabbing ten rebounds three times in May. She has also started nine games, most recently sliding into the starting lineup for Napheesa Collier, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. While the Lynx lost two games without Collier, Shepard has largely filled in well.
Her historic night against the Indiana Fever highlighted just how impactful signing Shepard really was for the Lynx.
Jessica Shepard made Lynx history
The Indiana Fever were in a tough position, having to face the top team in the league with only nine available players—two of which just joined the team on hardship contracts. Nevertheless, the Fever put up an incredible fight and kept the game close even after losing the third quarter 17 to 32.
The Lynx prevailed, securing a 95-90 win. Kayla McBride’s 29 points on 5-5 shooting from three and Natiesha Hiedeman’s 17 points off the bench were huge. The star of the show was undoubtedly Jessica Shepard, though. Shepard played all 40 minutes and recorded a triple-double within the first three quarters.
She finished the game with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Most impressively, Shepard got her triple-double on 10-11 shooting from the field and without committing a single turnover. On top of that, she did it against good defenders. The Fever’s guard rotation may have taken a massive hit, but their starting frontcourt of Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard is still very much intact.
Not only did Shepard record the fastest triple-double in WNBA history, but she also recorded just the second one in Lynx history. Moriah Jefferson had the other one. Given the star power the Lynx sported in the past with Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, and Rebekkah Brunson, the fact that Shepard is only the second Lynx player to record a triple-double may be the most surprising part of her historic night.
Shepard will be crucial to the Lynx’s playoff success
Jessica Shepard has already proven that she can be a hugely impactful player for the Lynx, but she will be tested again when the playoffs roll around. Even when Collier is back, the Lynx will need big games from Shepard. Having a reliable bench can make the difference in the playoffs, especially if a team goes on a deep, gruelling run like the Lynx are envisioning.
Many of the best players in the league are bigs or forwards. The teams closest to the Lynx in the standings feature Bri Jones, Brittney Griner, A’ja Wilson, Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Emma Meesseman. Having a backup who can come in and compete with those players will be invaluable for the Lynx.