The Minnesota Lynx are thriving. Having lost only one game all season long, Minnesota is once again one of the best teams in the WNBA. A return to the finals is certainly in the cards for the Lynx.
Napheesa Collier is a big reason for that success. She wasted no time building on her strong 2024 season and should be the undisputed favorite to win MVP this season. Other players, like Caitlin Clark and Allisha Gray, are also building MVP cases, but no player has dominated quite like Collier has.
Collier’s MVP award is not the only hardware the Lynx should aim for this season, though. Natisha Hiedeman is putting together a strong case for the Sixth Player of the Year award.
Natisha Hiedeman has been great off the bench for Minnesota
Natisha Hiedeman is the Lynx’s backup point guard, coming off the bench behind Courtney Williams. Hiedeman is thriving in that role. She is averaging 9.3 points on efficient shooting, two rebounds, and three assists per game.
Over twelve games, she already scored ten or more points five times, including a big 18-point performance in Minnesota’s win over Phoenix. In the entire 2024 regular season, Hiedeman only reached double-digit points five times. She already tied that number in just twelve games.
Hiedeman brings great energy off the bench for Minnesota, something that was on full display in the Lyn’x come-back win over the Las Vegas Aces. The Lynx struggled to get going offensively. Three minutes into the game, they hadn’t scored yet, causing Cheryl Reeve to make an early substitution and get Hiedeman into the game. Minnesota immediately went on a run, catching up with the Aces.
Hiedeman’s energy was obvious. She played 25 total minutes and finished the game with 12 points, six big rebounds, three assists, and a game-high plus-minus of 21.
Hiedeman has had this kind of impact all season long, giving the Lynx a massive boost off the bench and helping her team to eleven big wins.
Hiedeman has some serious competition for the Sixth Player of the Year award
The WNBA is filled with good bench players. Kennedy Burke, for example, has been massive for the New York Liberty, Lexie Held turned out to be a pleasant surprise for the Phoenix Mercury, Erica Wheeler has revived her career with the Storm and is on track to earn a starting spot, and Natiesha Hiedeman and Jessica Shepard have been big off the bench for Minnesota.
Out of those players, Kennedy Burke and Natisha Hiedeman probably have the best cases to win Sixth Player of the Year. Both play for successful teams and have been key to their teams’ wins.