Lynx trade rumors heat up after historic blowout win over Aces

The Minnesota Lynx have not officially announced their plans for the trade deadline. However, fans are beginning to wonder if Diamond Miller is on the trade block. 

Miller is in her third season with the Lynx now. She only played a major role on the team in her rookie season. With the Lynx’s championship ambitions and a veteran roster, Miller didn’t start the 2025 season as a major part of Cheryl Reeve’s rotation. Then, Karlie Samuelson went down with a season-ending ankle injury, and Miller was pushed into the rotation. 

However, the Lynx’s hard-fought win over the New York Liberty made it obvious that Reeve did not trust Miller to play big minutes in such an important game. Then, the youngster got a DNP Coach’s Decision when the Lynx beat the Aces by 50 points on the road—the biggest margin in a road victory in league history.

It would have been the perfect opportunity for Miller to get on the court and show Reeve what she can do. The fact that she didn’t play and Reeve said after the game that it was not injury-related, caused fans on social media to speculate about Miller’s future with the Lynx. Some of Miller’s social media activity also factored into the speculations.

Reeve said after the game that she wanted to give her rookie a chance to play

The Lynx’s roster features one rookie: 20-year-old Anastasiia Kosu from Russia. She is the second-youngest player in the WNBA behind only Dominique Malonga, and rarely plays for the Lynx. She only averages 2.8 minutes per game and only plays when games are already decided. Her stint against the Aces marked the first time she played more than eight minutes. She got ten minutes of playing time. 

Reeve made it clear after the game that it was important for her to give Kosu some extended minutes. That left Miller as the odd one out, even though one could argue that Jessica Shepard and Natisha Hiedeman didn’t have to play late in the game. They are Reeve’s most-trusted reserves and already see plenty of playing time. 

The trade deadline is soon

While in-season trades are not super common in the WNBA, the trade deadline on August 7 marks an important date, especially for a team as desperate to win at the highest level as the Lynx. Adding another reserve Reeve trusts to produce in important, close games would only further strengthen the Lynx’s rotation before the playoffs. 

Minnesota has plenty of draft picks it could move and the rights to Maia Hirsch. However, if a potential trade partner wants to land a player who can make an impact right away, Diamond Miller is the most obvious candidate. She is young and has tons of potential. A team that can give her consistent minutes may be all she needs to realize that potential.