The Minnesota Lynx entered their September 6 matchup with the Golden State Valkyries shorthanded. Alanna Smith sat out to get some rest, and DiJonai Carrington is still dealing with a shoulder injury. With Carrington out and Jessica Shepard sliding into the starting lineup, the Lynx were left with little firepower on the bench.
Jaylyn Sherrod, Anastasiia Kosu, and Camryn Taylor didn’t play at all, and Maria Kliundikova only saw the court for six minutes. Natisha Hiedeman single-handedly carried the bench. She scored a game-high 24 points to record her third straight game with 20+ points off the bench, dished out two assists, and got her hands on three steals. Hiedeman also went 6-10 from three, marking her third consecutive game of shooting at least 60% from long range.
Hiedeman has been on fire from three recently. If she can keep that trend alive for the playoffs, it will give the Lynx a great boost in their championship pursuit.
Hiedeman drastically improved her 3-point shooting compared to the beginning of the season
Hiedeman started the season off with solid 3-point shooting. She attempted 12 threes over six games in May and made four of them, shooting 33.3%. In June and July, her percentage dropped noticeably. Over 10 games in June, Hiedeman shot only 22.6% from three. In July, she got that number back up to 29%.
Last month, Hiedeman took her 3-point shooting to another level. In August, the 28-year-old converted 45.8% of her threes. Given her recent performances, Hiedeman looks ready to keep that kind of shooting up as the Lynx head into the postseason with the goal of winning a championship.
Hiedeman has played three games in September so far and shot 66.7% from three, leading the Lynx in accuracy and attempts despite coming off the bench.
Hiedeman is one of the best reserves in the WNBA
Hiedeman’s energy and production off the bench have been invaluable for the Lynx this season. She leads the league in minutes played off the bench, total points scored, assists, and steals. With only a handful of games left in the season, Hiedeman is very likely to finish as the league leader in most of those categories.
Hiedeman currently has a 58-point advantage over the second-best bench scorer, Storm rookie Dominique Malonga. She also dished out 36 more assists than any other bench player with 118. Her advantage in total steals is much smaller. Hiedeman recorded 29 steals over 42 games. Emily Englster and DeWanna Bonner are not far behind with 28 and 25 steals, respectively.
As the most productive reserve in the league and the main bench player for the top team in the league, Hiedeman should be the frontrunner for the Sixth Player of the Year award.