MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx have set their final roster at 11 players as they begin their historic 20th WNBA season presented by Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine on Sunday, May 20 vs. Los Angeles at Target Center with tipoff slated for 4:00 p.m. To finalize the roster, the Lynx waived forward Endy Miyem.
This year’s squad returns eight players from the 2017 championship Lynx roster, highlighted by the core of Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen. The holdovers include center Temi Fagbenle, guard Alexis Jones and forward Cecilia Zandalasini.
New to this year’s team is veteran Tanisha Wright. The Lynx signed Wright as a free agent this offseason on March 13. Wright, a WNBA champion with Seattle in 2010, joins the Lynx after most recently playing for New York in 2016 where she saw action in 29 games, averaging 6.7 ppg (40.1%) and 3.6 apg in 23.0 mpg. Wright has been named to the All-Defensive First Team on five occasions (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014) and Second Team twice (2015, 2016). Since their inception in 2005, only Tamika Catchings (12 times), Alana Beard (eight) and Sylvia Fowles (eight) have landed on the WNBA’s All-Defensive Teams more frequently.
Joining Wright in her first season with Minnesota are veterans guard Danielle Robinson and Forward Lynetta Kizer. Robinson was acquired by the Lynx in a trade with the Phoenix Mercury on March 6. The San Jose, California, native is a three-time All-Star (2013, 2014, 2015) and a three-time WNBA All-Defensive Second Team selection (2012, 2013, 2014) along with being named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team in 2011. Robinson is one of seven active players to hold career averages of at least nine points and four assists per game with a minimum of 40 games played (Sue Bird, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Moriah Jefferson, Diana Taurasi, Lindsay Whalen and Courtney Vandersloot). Kizer played in 20 games for Connecticut last season, averaging 6.0 ppg and 2.9 rpg in 11.9 mpg while shooting 48.0% from the field. Originally selected by Tulsa in the 3rd round (29th overall) of the 2012 WNBA Draft, the 6-4 forward has also played for Phoenix and Indiana during her career, highlighted by a trip to the WNBA Finals with the Fever in 2015.
2018 MINNESOTA LYNX ROSTER
| No |
Player |
Pos |
Ht |
Birthdate |
College/Year |
Yrs |
| 33 |
Seimone Augustus |
G |
6-0 |
04/30/84 |
Louisiana State ’06 |
12 |
| 32 |
Rebekkah Brunson |
F |
6-2 |
12/11/81 |
Georgetown ’04 |
14 |
| 14 |
Temi Fagbenle |
F |
6-4 |
09/08/92 |
USC ‘17 |
1 |
| 34 |
Sylvia Fowles |
C |
6-6 |
10/06/85 |
Louisiana ‘08 |
10 |
| 12 |
Alexis Jones |
G |
5-8 |
05/08/94 |
Baylor ‘17 |
1 |
| 5 |
Lynetta Kizer |
F |
6-4 |
04/04/90 |
Maryland ‘12 |
6 |
| 23 |
Maya Moore |
F |
6-0 |
06/11/89 |
Connecticut ’11 |
7 |
| 3 |
Danielle Robinson |
G |
5-9 |
05/10/89 |
Oklahoma ‘11 |
6 |
| 13 |
Lindsay Whalen |
G |
5-9 |
05/09/82 |
Minnesota ’04 |
14 |
| 30 |
Tanisha Wright |
G |
5-11 |
11/29/83 |
Penn State ‘05 |
12 |
| 9 |
Cecilia Zandalasini |
F |
6-1 |
03/16/96 |
Italy |
1 |
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Head Coach/General Manager: Cheryl Reeve (La Salle)
Assistant Coaches: Shelley Patterson (Washington State), James Wade (Kennesaw State), Walt Hopkins (University of Nevada-Reno)
Athletic Trainers: Chuck Barta (Wisconsin-La Crosse), Kate Taber (University of Iowa)
Assistant General Manager: Clare Duwelius (Wayne State)
Video Coordinator: Annie Isler (Carleton College)