When the Minnesota Lynx opened training camp in April without Napheesa Collier, who was still recovering from offseason surgery on both ankles, and minus six other rotation players from the team that went 34-10 in 2025, a first-round playoff exit sounded like a reasonable outcome. And sure enough, the Lynx were eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday with an 87-71 loss to the New York Liberty -- the preseason title favorites -- in Game 2 of their first-round matchup. Most people would have predicted that outcome five months ago.
No one would have predicted the route there. Thanks to an early eight-game winning streak, the Lynx jumped out to a surprise 10-2 start and never relinquished their hold on sole possession of the No. 1 seed after July 12. By the time Collier returned to action in a July 22 win over the Seattle Storm, the Lynx were 22-6.
That victory was part of a separate 10-game winning streak -- the longest by any team in the league this season. Olivia Miles, the No. 2 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, had burst onto the scene and immediately established herself as one of the league's best point guards. She was scoring and dishing at will; at All-Star Weekend in Chicago, where Miles was a starter, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon called her "impossible to guard." Miles would go on to set the rookie points record, breaking Caitlin Clark's mark, smash the Lynx franchise rookie records for points and assists, and be named the unanimous Rookie of the Year.
Alongside her, veteran free agent additions Natasha Howard and Nia Brodie were shining. Howard, named an All-Star for the first time since 2022, formed a dynamite pick-and-roll partnership with Miles and effectively replaced Collier's production in the first half of the season, while Brodie had one of the best campaigns of her career and provided real value as a floor spacer who could also defend. And, of course, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams (also named an All-Star) were their usual selves in the backcourt.
As the World Cup break approached, the Lynx were on the verge of locking up the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, but they lost their final game to the No. 2 seed, the Golden State Valkyries. After the break, they were never able to regain their mojo. They lost four of six to close the regular season, and backed into the No. 1 seed with just days to spare.
Worryingly, McBride issued a rare headline-making quote in the final week, when she implored her team to show more of an "F you" mentality. "I'm more concerned about our 'F you' towards the other team. Just going and ripping people's hearts out and taking momentum back and finishing games and putting hammers down," she said.
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