Anastasiia Olairi Kosu and Dalayah Daniels Sign Rookie Contracts

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx announced today the team has signed forwards Anastasiia Olairi Kosu and Dalayah Daniels. Per team policy, the terms of the deals were not released.

Kosu, a 6-1 forward from Kurk, Russia was selected No. 15 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft. She brings a wealth of professional experience, currently playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Premier League. In 34 games this season, Kosu is averaging 9.5 points while shooting 54.3% from the field and 79.0% from the free throw line, while also posting 5.1 rebounds, 1.76 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Kosu was named MVP of the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship while leading Russia to a gold medal and averaged 15.7 points and 12.8 rebounds through six games during Russia’s 8th-place finish at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Hungary.  

Daniels, a 6-4 forward from Seattle, Wash. was selected No. 24 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft. She spent two seasons at the University of California Berkeley before joining the University of Washington for three seasons. Daniels was awarded 2025 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, 2024 All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention, and has collected various Pac-12 defensive and preseason awards. This year, the graduate student averaged 12.8 points (on 57.5% shooting), 7.2 rebounds, 1.55 blocks and 1.55 steals in 33 games while helping the Huskies to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017.