Lynx Announce Departures of Clare Duwelius and Katie Smith

The announced departures of Duwelius and Smith now leaves the Lynx searching for two key roles within the organization.

Most of the time, when you have a successful season, others want a piece of your success and try and pull away coaches or players to improve their own squads.

That has officially hit the Minnesota Lynx, who now find themselves without two key people in the front office and on the bench. Minnesota announced Monday the departures of General Manager Clare Duwelius and Assistant Coach Katie Smith, both of which are taking on new career opportunities elsewhere.

Duwelius, who has spent the last 11 seasons with the Lynx in various roles, has been named the first Executive Vice President and General Manager of Unrivaled, a new league created by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.

“We are thrilled to welcome Clare Duwelius as a critical piece of our league,” Unrivaled Commissioner Micky Lawler said via a statement. “Her track record and proven excellency speak for themselves, and she brings years of unparalleled experience from a storied and successful franchise.”

Duwelius began her journey with the Lynx in 2014 when she started as the organization’s Basketball Operations Coordinator. She then became Basketball Operations Manager, Assistant General Manager and most recently General Manager since 2022.

“We are excited for Clare’s new opportunity with Unrivaled and thank her for 11 great years inside the Lynx organization,” Lynx Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations Cheryl Reeve said via a news release. “Clare was tireless in her efforts to support the Lynx players and staff in her roles as Director of Lynx Basketball Operations and subsequently General Manager. We will miss her, and we wish her well as she embarks on this new journey.”

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

Smith, who has spent the last four years as an assistant coach with the Lynx and has been a key assistant alongside Reeve, has been named an assistant coach for the Ohio State women’s basketball program, her alma mater.

“I’m both excited and grateful to return to my alma mater, Ohio State, and to the city my family and I proudly call home,” Smith said via a statement. “Ohio State and its women’s basketball program played such a pivotal role in my journey and I am honored to have the opportunity to give back to the program that helped shape me.”

Smith joined the Lynx organization in 2020 after spending six seasons as an assistant coach and head coach for the New York Liberty. In 2022, Smith was elevated to Minnesota’s Associate Head Coach while helping turn the organization around during a rebuild during her tenure.

“Katie has been an integral part of the Lynx since her return in 2020. She poured her heart and soul into developing the Lynx team and its players into a championship contender once again,” Reeve said via the team. “Her passion, commitment, and loyalty have left an indelible mark on the organization. Though she is embarking on a new adventure with the Buckeyes, Katie will always be a Lynx, and we wish her the best in her new role.”

Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images

This news is a tough blow for the Lynx, but two well-deserved and well-earned honors for two incredibly talented individuals who both played key roles in helping turn the organization around via a rebuild. The Minnesota team as it currently stands was built with the help of Duwelius and Smith, which is just one of the reasons why their talents where in such high demand following the WNBA season.

As Minnesota plans for the offseason and builds towards the 2025 season where it will try to return to the WNBA Finals, the organization will now open the search for two key positions both on the front office and on the bench with the departures of Duwelius and Smith.