The Minnesota Lynx want to win a championship now. That is no secret. Ever since Napheesa Collier established herself as one of the top players in the league and the Lynx built a contender around her, winning a title has been the goal. The Lynx fell short of that goal twice now, losing to New York in the finals last year and to the Mercury in the semifinals this year. The roster could benefit from a shakeup and some new star power.
Free agency is one way to do that. The Lynx should be an attractive destination for high-level players. Another way to land some of the top talent in the WNBA would be trading the number-two pick in a sign-and-trade situation for a star player who was cored by their current team. Since every top veteran will be a free agent, that would be the only trade option for high-end veteran talent. It’s a tempting idea simply because of its potential to improve the Lynx’s championship odds right away.
However, in the long run—and arguably in the present—it would be a mistake.
The number-two pick is too good to pass on
Landing the number-two pick after finishing the regular season with the best record in the league doesn't happen often—especially not in a draft that features as much talent as the 2026 WNBA Draft. The talent level is only one of several reasons the Lynx shouldn’t trade their pick.
Minnesota doesn’t have a lot of young talent. Only Dorka Juhasz has proven that she can contribute to a winning team, and Anastasiia Kosu may not be in Minnesota for much longer if she is left unprotected in the expansion draft. With the number-two pick, the Lynx wouldn’t only get a young player to develop, but also a young player who can contribute right away.
Olivia Miles, Azzi Fudd, or Lauren Betts could slide right into a rotational role for the Lynx. The latter would immediately add some much-needed size. Miles would provide additional playmaking and scoring on the perimeter, and Fudd is the type of player who could really thrive in Cheryl Reeve’s 3-point-heavy, defensive-minded system. Miles or Fudd would also offer a kind of insurance in case Courtney Williams or Kayla McBride are on their way out this offseason or soon after.
Most importantly, whoever the Lynx pick will be on a rookie contract, giving the team a young contributor without taking up too much cap space. They will also be under contract for a few years, which would ensure that the Lynx already have a building block for when they have to shift the focus away from the current veteran core.