Each week, we will provide an update on the Minnesota Lynx players overseas and how they are performing as part of our Lynx Offseason Update series.
March is coming to a close as we get closer to seeing a champion crowned in the NCAA Tournament and inch closer to WNBA training camps commencing.
With March Madness winding down, that also means we are almost to the 2025 WNBA Draft, which isn’t far away with the date set for April 14th in New York to see the next wave of talent enter the professional level.
Before we get to that, play continues at the college level and across the globe with Minnesota Lynx and WNBA talent. For the Lynx, they have a total of eight players still taking the court overseas, most of which are in the heart of races towards a potential league crown.
Let’s look back at the past week with this edition of the Lynx Offseason Update!
Kayla McBride — Fenerbahçe (Turkey)
McBride had an impressive season with Laces in Unrivaled, finishing the regular season second in the league in scoring behind only Napheesa Collier, earning All-Unrivaled First Team honors before losing in the semifinal round of the playoffs. Following an impressive Unrivaled season, McBride is now playing overseas in Europe with Fenerbahçe before WNBA training camp commences.
Over the past week, McBride and her Turkish club began the Turkey-KBSL playoffs, coming away with two victories to advance to the semifinals against Besiktas starting April 1st. In the two appearances, McBride once provided two balanced outings in her return to Turkey.
Season Stats (Regular Season):
With Fenerbahçe:
- 2 games — 17.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, 26.5 MPG
Unrivaled:
- 13 games — 22.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 19.6 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 26 vs. Kayseri (98-74 win): 21 points (7-17 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, three assists and one steal over 30 minutes
- March 28 vs. Kayseri (98-56 win): 14 points (5-8 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, three assists and three steals over 23 minutes
Bridget Carleton — ÇBK Mersin (Turkey)
With Carleton playing with ÇBK Mersin in Turkey after starting the offseason with UNI Györ in Hungary, Carleton has continued to put together a strong offseason thus far and helped lead her team to a trophy over the past week.
This past week, Carleton and ÇBK Mersin began the Turkey-KBSL quarterfinals, splitting the first two games with Nesibe in the best-of-three series that concludes on March 31st. Carleton scored north of 20 points in both contests along with five threes in both contests and recording a double-double in the first of two games.
Season Stats:
With ÇBK Mersin:
- Turkey-KBSL: 10 games — 13.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 37.0 MPG
- Euroleague: 6 games — 10.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 32.8 MPG
UNI Györ:
- Hungary-A Division: 5 games — 12.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 31.2 MPG
- Euroleague: 2 games — 15.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 36.0 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 27 vs. Nesibe (95-86 loss): 28 points (11-21 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 1-3 FT), 14 rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block over 44 minutes
- March 29 vs. Nesibe (91-72 win): 23 points (8-13 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and one steal over 40 minutes
Dorka Juhász — Famila Schio (Italy)
Juhász is back in Italy again this year, coming off a strong campaign with Famila Schio last offseason and looking to build upon that this season as she prepares for her third WNBA campaign in 2025.
Juhász and Famila Schio finished up Italy Serie-A1 action over the past week and began the Serie-A1 playoffs, with Juhász reaching double figures in rebounding in both outings while impressing with a double-double in the opening round of the postseason.
Juhász and Famila Schio return to action in the Serie-A1 playoffs on April 2nd against Battipaglia for a chance to advance to the next round.
Season Stats:
- Italy-Serie A1: 14 games — 9.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 22.4 MPG
- Euroleague: 9 games — 8.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 26.1 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 27 vs. Brixia (80-61 win): three points (1-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 13 rebounds and three assists over 26 minutes
- March 29 vs. Battipaglia (90-42 win): 14 points (7-10 FG), 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block over 20 minutes
Diamond Miller — Gorzow Wielkopolski (Poland)
Miller had her season cut short last offseason while dealing with a knee injury, only appearing in three games in Hungary before returning to Minnesota to rehab her injury. This offseason, she has done well in her first full healthy offseason.
Over the past week, Miller took the court in two games during the Basket Liga playoffs, impressing in both outings while putting together her best showcase of the season in a double-double outing in the first game and responding with a near 20-point outing in the second game.
Miller and Gorzow took the court for four games against Wroclaw in the semifinal round of the Basket Liga playoffs, splitting those four games 2-2 with a winner-take-all Game 5 set to tip off April 2. In the first three games of the series, Miller shined in Game 1 only to take a step back in the second and third contests. She didn’t appear in Game 4 for Gorzow.
Season Stats:
- Poland-OBLK: 21 games — 17.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.9 BPG, 0.9 SPG, 29.3 MPG
- EuroCup: 4 games — 12.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 31.5 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 26 vs. Sleza Wroclaw (87-72 win): 31 points (11-16 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 5-7 FT), 13 rebounds, four assists and one steal over 36 minutes
- March 27 vs. Sleza Wroclaw (75-65 loss): 11 points (3-8 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 4-5 FT), six rebounds, one assist and one steal over 27 minutes
- March 29 vs. Sleza Wroclaw (85-61 loss): two points (1-6 FG, 0-4 3Pt), three rebounds and two assists over 17 minutes
- March 31 vs. Sleza Wroclaw (81-73 win): DNP
Marième Badiane — Fenerbahçe (Turkey)
As she prepares to take a WNBA court for the first time ever this summer, Badiane is playing with Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe this offseason, contributing nicely in numerous areas for her squad.
Over the past week, Badiane didn’t take part in either of the contests Fenerbahçe had in the Turkey-KBSL Playoffs.
Season Stats:
- Turkey-KBSL: 11 games — 14.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 29.0 MPG
- Euroleague: 14 games — 5.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 17.2 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 26 vs. Kayseri (98-74 win): DNP
- March 28 vs. Kayseri (98-56 win): DNP
Jessica Shepard — Athinaikos AS Vurona (Greece)
Some may have forgotten about Shepard since she didn’t play in the WNBA in 2024 on a suspended contract while remaining overseas, but the veteran is still under control of the Lynx.
Shepard and Athinaikos AS Vurona continued on in the semifinal round of the Greece-A1 playoffs over the past week, again coming out on top to advance to the championship series against Olympiacos. In the final game of the semifinals, Shepard once again starred for her squad, recording a double-double in a well-rounded outing.
Season Stats:
- Greece-A1: 19 games — 27.9 PPG, 15.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 34.0 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 26 vs. Panathinaikos (78-69 win): 28 points (9-17 FG, 10-12 FT), 17 rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block over 39 minutes
Camryn Taylor — Esperides (Greece)
Taylor is a player some Lynx fans might be familiar with, having spent time with Minnesota last training camp. Agreeing to rejoin the team for camp again this year, Taylor has impressed overseas with Esperides in Greece.
Over the past week, Taylor played in one contest with her squad, facing Iraklis in the Greece-A1 Relegation Playoffs, coming away with a win in the first game of the championship series. Taylor concluded that contest with a near double-digit scoring total, coming up one point shy of doing so.
Season Stats:
- Greece-A1: 23 games — 19.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 1.9 APG, 0.4 BPG, 31.4 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 30 vs. Iraklis (59-57 loss): nine points (3-9 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four assists, four steals, three rebounds and one block over 36 minutes
Maïa Hirsch — ESB Villeneuve (France)
Hirsch has yet to appear with the Lynx or in the WNBA after being drafted 12th overall by Minnesota in 2023 but is still under team control as she remains in France with ESB Villeneuve.
Hirsch returned to the court with ESB Villeneuve over the past week, coming off the bench in the lone contest and hauling in a season-high rebound total.
Season Stats:
- France-BWL: 8 games — 2.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 0.4 BPG, 11.1 MPG
- EuroCup: 2 games — 8.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 0.5 APG, 19.0 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 30 vs. Chartres (87-54 win): two points (1-2 FG), five rebounds and one assist over nine minutes
Currently Not In Action
Napheesa Collier — Lunar Owls (United States)
Collier shined all Unrivaled season long, leading the league in scoring and going on to not only earn All-Unrivaled First Team honors but also being named the inaugural Unrivaled MVP.
While earning those accolades, Collier and Lunar Owls fell in an upset in the semifinals in a 73-70 loss to Vinyl. In her final game of the season, Collier put on a show and did all she could for Lunar Owls, leading all players in scoring with a 36-point showing.
Season Stats (Regular Season):
- 14 games — 25.7 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 18.6 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 16 vs. Vinyl (73-70 loss): 36 points (16-24 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks over 23 minutes
Courtney Williams — Lunar Owls (United States)
As we have seen with the Lynx in the WNBA, Williams was the spark plug and energy generator for Lunar Owls in Unrivaled, distributing the ball well while also being able to help her squad with her shot when needed.
Williams and the Lunar Owls, the best team in the regular season, saw their season come to a close in an upset loss to Vinyl. In the game, Williams reached double figures in scoring while contributing on the boards as well.
Season Stats (Regular Season):
- 14 games — 9.4 PPG, 4.6 APG, 3.9 RPG, 0.4 SPG, 9.8 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 16 vs. Vinyl (73-70 loss): 13 points (5-9 FG, 3-3 3Pt), five rebounds, three assists and one steal over 13 minutes
Natisha Hiedeman — Rose (United States)
After starting the Unrivaled season with Phantom, then Laces, and back to Phantom to round out the regular season, Hiedeman took the floor with her third team of the Unrivaled season when she suited up for Rose in postseason play.
Even though she didn’t play long with Rose, Hiedeman was the lone Lynx player to appear in the championship game and ended up coming away with an Unrivaled championship. In that championship contest, Hiedeman didn’t appear off the bench.
Season Stats (Regular Season):
- 12 games — 7.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 9.8 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 18 vs. Vinyl (62-54 loss): DNP
Alanna Smith — Shandong (China)
Smith absolutely dominated in China over the offseason, leading the way on a game-by-game basis while averaging a double-double with her Chinese squad.
Over the past week, Smith and Shandong have taken part in the WCBA playoffs, facing Guangdong in the quarterfinals. Following a loss on Sunday, Shandong fell 3-1 in the series and sees their WCBA play conclude.
Season Stats:
- China-WCBA: 37 games — 18.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 2.3 SPG
Recent Games:
- March 11 vs. Guangdong (83-78 win): 20 points (7-11 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 0-2 FT), 13 rebounds, three steals and one assist
- March 13 vs. Guangdong (89-77 loss): No game stats found.
- March 16 vs. Guangdong (92-73 loss): 23 points (10-13 FG, 3-4 FT), six steals, three rebounds and one rebound
Alissa Pili — Team Harris (United States)
Pili got back on the court this offseason while taking part in Athletes Unlimited, completing the four-week schedule last week while ending the year appearing in all 12 contests.
Pili rounded out the season with a nice showing, concluding the year with just over 12 points per game and shooting 43.2 percent from the field.
Season Stats:
- 12 games — 12.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.5 SPG, 28.1 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 1 vs. Team Sims (100-97 win): 14 points (6-15 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 0-2 FT), six rebounds and one assist over 35 minutes
- March 2 vs. Team Bradford (84-78 loss): seven points (2-3 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT) and one rebound over 23 minutes
Grace Berger — OGM Ormanspor (Turkey)
Berger, another new member of the Lynx, was claimed off waivers by Minnesota after the former seventh-overall pick was waived by the Indiana Fever earlier this offseason.
Berger had a nice season with OGM Ormanspor in Turkey, boosting her squad in nearly every aspect of the game. OMG Ormanspor wasn’t able to crack into the postseason bracket, finishing in ninth place in the Turkey-KBSL standings and missing out on the top eight spots.
Season Stats:
- Turkey-KBSL: 22 games — 13.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 36.3 MPG
Recent Games:
- March 14 vs. Botas (84-68 win): 14 points (4-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 5-6 FT), seven assists, three rebounds, and three steals over 40 minutes
Kiara Leslie — Gigantes de Carolina (Puerto Rico)
Leslie is the newest member of the Lynx, signing a training camp contract with Minnesota over the past week. Leslie was originally drafted by the Washington Mystics 10th overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft, last playing in the WNBA in 2021.
Leslie has played overseas in Egypt, France, Israel, and Russia throughout her career, most recently playing in Puerto Rico for Puerto Rico-BSNF action as part of Gigantes de Carolina. Last playing with the club on Oct. 28, Leslie did a little bit of everything for her Puerto Rican squad over 20 contests.
Season Stats:
- Puerto Rico-BSNF: 20 games — 18.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 35.6 MPG
That will do it for this week. As always, thank you for reading! We will catch up with you next week with another Lynx Offseason Update.