Lynx sign Collier, Shepard, Dillard and Bell; add Shao and Emery to roster
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today finalized the team’s 2019 training camp roster by signing 2019 draft selections Napheesa Collier, Jessica Shepard, Cierra Dillard and Kenisha Bell as well as signing forward Shao Ting and guard Taylor Emery. Minnesota’s roster now stands at 19 players.
The sixth overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft, Collier put together her best season at UConn, setting career-highs in almost every category as a senior. She averaged a career-high 20.8 ppg on 61.2% from the field, a career-best 10.8 rpg and a career-high 3.5 apg. Collier registered 24 double-doubles her senior season, upping her career total to 48. The Missouri native stands as the fifth Husky all-time to reach 2,000+ points and 1,000+ rebounds, finishing her career with 2,401 points and 1,219 boards. She helped lead UConn to the Final Four in each of her four seasons with the team, coming away as the National Champions her freshman season.
Shepard had played and started in 32 games for the University of Notre Dame her senior season, averaging 16.5 ppg on a career-high 60.8 percent shooting from the field. After a two-year stint at Nebraska, the forward accumulated two First Team All-ACC honors and was named to the 2017-18 All-Final Four Team. Shepard joined Ruth Riley as the only two players in Notre Dame history to reach 2,000+ points and 1,000+ rebounds in their careers.
At the University of Buffalo, Dillard started all 34 games her senior season while averaging a team-best 25.2 points, a team-high 5.7 assists and 2.9 steals, while also making a team-best 105 three pointers. The guard earned First Team All-MAC honors, as well as garnering MAC Tournament MVP honors in 2019.
Bell finished her senior season at the University of Minnesota ranked fifth in team history in scoring average (18.1), seventh in assists (371), eight in free throw percentage (75.1%) and ninth in free throw attempts (438). The Minneapolis native earned an Honorable Mention All-American (AP) nod after tying her own school record for free throws made in a season with 255, which is also tied for eighth most in a season in Big Ten history.
Shao, a 6-1 forward from China, has played the past six seasons in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association for Beijing, including the 2016, 2017 and 2018 seasons alongside Lynx center Sylvia Fowles. Shao, 29, averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 55.2% from the floor in 41 games this season. This is her second stint with the Lynx after appearing in two preseason games in 2017 where she totaled 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, six rebounds and three assists.
Emery, a 5-10 guard out of Virginia Tech, became the first Hokie to ever earn first team All-ACC honors in 2019 after averaging 19.0 points, the third most in the conference, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists. The Tampa native shot 43.0% from the field and knocked down 77 three-pointers her senior season, the second highest single-season total in program history.
The Minnesota Lynx will announce the team’s training camp plans at a later date.
The Lynx will kick off their 21st WNBA season, presented by Mayo Clinic by welcoming the Chicago Sky to Target Center on Saturday, May 25 at 7:00 p.m. The 2019 campaign includes 34 regular-season games from May 25 through September 8. Full season memberships and single game tickets are now available by visiting lynx.wnba.com/tickets/ or calling 612-673-8400.
2019 MINNESOTA LYNX TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
| No |
Player |
Pos |
Birthdate |
College/From |
Yrs |
| 0 |
Karima Christmas-Kelly |
F |
09/11/1989 |
Duke/USA |
8 |
| 1 |
Odyssey Sims |
G |
07/13/1992 |
Baylor/USA |
5 |
| 2 |
Erlana Larkins |
F |
04/02/1986 |
North Carolina/USA |
9 |
| 3 |
Danielle Robinson |
G |
05/10/1989 |
Oklahoma/USA |
7 |
| 4 |
Lexie Brown |
G |
10/27/1994 |
Duke/USA |
1 |
| 5 |
Taylor Emery |
G |
08/26/1997 |
Virginia Tech/USA |
R |
| 7 |
Shao Ting |
F |
12/10/1989 |
China |
R |
| 8 |
Cierra Dillard |
G |
05/08/1996 |
Buffalo/USA |
R |
| 9 |
Cecilia Zandalasini* |
F |
03/16/1996 |
Italy |
2 |
| 10 |
Jessica Shepard |
F |
09/11/1996 |
Notre Dame/USA |
R |
| 12 |
Jillian Alleyne |
F |
09/08/1994 |
Oregon/USA |
R |
| 14 |
Temi Fagbenle* |
C |
09/08/1992 |
USC/USA |
2 |
| 15 |
Kenisha Bell |
G |
05/25/1996 |
Minnesota/USA |
R |
| 20 |
Kelsey Griffin^ |
F |
07/02/1987 |
Nebraska/USA |
5 |
| 23 |
Maya Moore^ |
F |
06/11/1989 |
Connecticut/USA |
8 |
| 24 |
Napheesa Collier |
F |
09/23/1996 |
Connecticut/USA |
R |
| 33 |
Seimone Augustus |
G |
04/30/1984 |
Louisiana State/USA |
13 |
| 34 |
Sylvia Fowles |
C |
10/06/1985 |
Louisiana State/USA |
11 |
| 92 |
Damiris Dantas |
F |
11/17/1992 |
Brazil |
4 |
*Fagbenle and Zandalasini will be late arrivals due to overseas commitments
^Griffin and Moore will begin the 2019 season on the Suspended List