Natasha Howard opted to depart the Indiana Fever for the Minnesota Lynx this season and so far, so good: the move seems to have been exactly what she needed to truly grow into her own. Howard racked up a double-double in today's game against the Chicago Sky, landing 26 points and 14 rebounds.
Howard has been showing up for the Lynx since the 2026 WNBA season began. So far she's averaging 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds for the team she last played for in 2017, and Howard is making a case for keeping her starting spot even after teammate Dorka Juhász returns.
The Lynx got their revenge on the Sky
The game took place less than a week after the Sky beat the Lynx 86-79. Howard was firing on all cylinders, and hit 10 of her 12 shot in the first quarter. She followed that up with with another 14 points in the second, which helped the Lynx head into the half with a comfortable lead.
Howard's efforts were aided by Courtney Williams, Olivia Miles, and Kayla McBride.
The move to the Lynx seems to have opened up something for Howard's style of play, and offered her the chance to really grow in a way that she wasn't necessarily able to in Indiana. Howard also has the chance to start more games than she ever could have with Aliyah Boston as her teammate, and may even be making a case for continuing to start after Juhász is available for the team again.
(The Lynx announced in April that Juhász suffered a right foot injury during a EuroLeague semifinal against Casademont Zaragoza.)
Dorka Juhász and Napheesa Collier will return to a different Lynx
Both Juhász and teammate Napheesa Collier, who is out with injuries to both of her ankles, will return to a very different Minnesota Lynx than the one they played for last season. Williams has a blossoming chemistry with rookie Miles, who has shown a capacity for running the floor that far exceeds her years in the league.
The Lynx have traditionally played Collier alongside a stretch big, an arrangement that gave her plenty of room to manuever in the interior, but this year's roster might change some of those plans around. Miles and Howard have also developed their own chemistry that appears to be working well, especially when the pair pull off what's rapidly becoming their signature pick-and-roll combination.
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