After a strong 2024 season and helping the Minnesota Lynx to the WNBA Finals, Lynx guard Kayla McBride reflects on the year that was and looks ahead to what will be a memorable 2025.
Kayla McBride has been on numerous teams and has seen a lot throughout her 11-year WNBA career, spanning even farther back to the college and high school levels.
But in her 11th season as a pro in 2024, she experienced and is still experiencing something she hasn’t to this point in her basketball life.
McBride, who wrapped up her fourth season with the Minnesota Lynx in 2024, can confidently say she has never been a part of a team and a season that she was a part of with her Lynx teammates and coaches — one that ended just seconds shy of a WNBA title.
“It was one of my favorite seasons thus far as a pro,” McBride said on the Hitting the Hardwood Podcast. “It was just a special time for Minnesota basketball.”
Regardless of the final outcome, it was a memorable season for McBride — and it will be an even more memorable offseason while doing something she has yet to do in her career.
The Year That Was
Since arriving in Minnesota as a free agent in 2021, McBride has thrived in a Lynx uniform and has truly enjoyed being part of the Lynx organization.
At the age of 32 in 2024 during her 11th season in the league, McBride had one of her best seasons to date. All while being part of a special team that meshed with ease immediately.
“Where everybody was in their own personal journey, it just meshed very well,” McBride said. “We all relied on each other to just be ourselves, and it was so organic. Nobody had to be outside of themselves. We just enjoyed coming in and hooping, and it worked. When you’re on a team at the pro level, it doesn’t always happen that way. … It just ended up working out perfectly.”
McBride had her best season in Minnesota in 2024 and her best offensive season since 2018. She averaged 15.0 points, 3.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals over 31.7 minutes in 39 games, also tallying shooting marks of 42.0% from the field, 40.7% from beyond the arc, and 89.3% from the free throw line.
Photo by Choua Yang/NBAE via Getty Images
As a result, McBride was one of the key contributors to a team that went on a special run to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2017. And though it didn’t end the way McBride or her teammates wanted to, it was a year to remember for McBride during a special season.
“Our group is so special, from top to bottom. We just did it our own way. … We just did it the basic, organic way for each other. That’s the biggest thing I took away from it,” McBride said. “I missed my teammates when the season was over. I missed being around them and just showing up to work every day. That’s a testament to who those people are in the locker room. That is something that you always carry with you.
“When you look back and think about the special season we had and the special people we had in that locker room, you’re feel very fortunate and look back and say ‘Wow, that was special.’ … I’m just really proud to say that I was a part of that team. It’s something you always remember.”
Staying Home This Offseason
In a typical year, once the WNBA season concludes, McBride normally gets right on a plane and heads overseas. Her entire career, McBride has played basketball year-round — as most players do — while stepping on the court overseas immediately following the WNBA season.
But this season, she didn’t go overseas. Not because she doesn’t plan to play this offseason, but because she has plans other than what she normally does outside of the WNBA schedule.
“It was an adjustment, I’m not going to lie. I’m used to a routine and schedule of going (overseas) and playing,” she said. “I genuinely do love playing basketball, so not being able to go and be in the locker room and stuff like that, I do miss that part of it. I had a bit of time adjusting, but it didn’t take me long. The way the season ended, you just kind of want to jump back in and forget about it. … I think it was really good for me to take the time mentally and physically. I have been doing it back-to-back-to-back for a long time.”
Photo by Seskim Photo/MB Media/Getty Images
Not heading right overseas has allowed McBride to be able to enjoy the offseason as any player should — relaxing and resting here at home while spending time with family and friends.
“Having this break, it’s been great. I got to host my first Thanksgiving, I got to hand out Halloween candy, I got settled into my new house. I just got some great mental and physical rest,” McBride said. “I’m just being a normal person instead of having to run off overseas. I just get to enjoy the everyday slow life. I may be addicted now, I don’t know if I’ll ever go back (overseas).”
But just because McBride didn’t go overseas, that doesn’t mean she is taking the offseason off from playing the game she loves. In fact, she is about to step back on the hardwood in a few short weeks.
“Once I finally sat down and reflected a little bit, I was really glad I stayed back. For me, mostly, but also for my career,” McBride said. “I have some big things coming up in January too, so I just wanted to take some time to reset. Which has been really great for me. … I feel great. I feel rested for the first time, I didn’t even know what that felt like.”
Being Part of Unrivaled
Alongside a few of her Lynx teammates and a total of 35 other WNBA players, McBride is about to begin a groundbreaking offseason on the court while being part of the inaugural season with Unrivaled.
“Just to be part of the inaugural 36 players is really, really cool. Saying you’re one of the top 35-40 players in the league and being able to go down to Miami and just hoop, it’s really exciting,” McBride said. “It’s just a long time coming for women’s basketball. Just to say you’re part of this blazing of the trail for the next generation, it’s really cool.”
Unrivaled, founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, is a first-of-its-kind 3-on-3 league comprised of WNBA players that features six players on each of the six teams. The groundbreaking league and its first season begins Jan. 17 in Miami. Games will be shown nationally on either TNT or truTV.
“I’m super proud of Phee and (Stewart) for having this idea and bringing us into it. Where women’s basketball is right now, it’s the perfect time to continue to build onto our exposure,” McBride added. “It’s a great way to get ready for the season too. It’s three-on-three, so I’ll definitely be in shape. I’m excited.”
Photo by Adam Bettcher/NBAE via Getty Images
McBride will be on the Laces team, which also includes her Lynx teammate Courtney Williams. The two will have the opportunity to establish a fun rivalry with Collier, who is playing for the Lunar Owls.
“I still get to play with Courtney and against Phee. But just getting to dive into something and play against some of the best players in the world in the offseason leading up to 2025, it’s really dope,” she said.
Regardless of what team she’s on or who she is playing with and against, McBride is grateful for the opportunity to finally be able to stay home and play the game she loves rather than jumping on a plane and going overseas when she’s not playing with the Lynx. To her, it’s a sign that the game keeps growing, the exposure keeps increasing, and the opportunities for players like McBride will only continue to increase.
“It’s really special for me specifically because, when I first came in the league, you either went overseas or you stayed home and just work out,” McBride said. “Now to be a part of all these different options that women get to have and just where women’s basketball is in general, it’s groundbreaking.”
Although McBride is focused on enjoying this offseason and the Unrivaled season ahead, she already has her eyes on 2025 in Minnesota as she and her Lynx teammates aim to run it back when the new season tips off.
“We just want people who want to be here and want to help us win a championship. That’s all it is,” McBride said of her hopes for the Lynx in 2025. “I’m really excited. I think we have a strong foundation in who we are and what we built last year. … We want people to come in and help us get over the mountaintop. We want to bring in great people who want to be part of the Lynx and be able to add to what we already have, which is a great thing.”
Listen to the Full Podcast
Hear the entire Hitting the Hardwood podcast with Kayla McBride, including her full comments about the year that was for the Lynx in 2024, what the offseason has been like for her while remaining in the United States, the upcoming season of Unrivaled, what she hopes for in 2025 and more!