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.
With the calendar year winding down, the WNBA offseason continues across the globe and will soon heat up with offseason action both on and off the court.
With a few leagues in the United States kicking off when we flip the calendar to 2025, news and rumors around the league will also pick up in the early months with the free agency window nearly upon us.
As the Minnesota Lynx look forward to who they want on the roster in 2025 and which players they might re-sign or sign this offseason, they also have a total of 12 players under team control spread out across the world playing either overseas or remaining here in the United States for offseason competition.
Those 12 players playing this offseason are Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, Alissa Pili, Bridget Carleton, Alanna Smith, Natisha Hiedeman, Dorka Juhász, Diamond Miller, Myisha Hines-Allen, Maïa Hirsch and Jessica Shepard.
As the offseason continues and as others wait for the start of their seasons, let’s take a look at how each of the Lynx players performed over the past week — which was a week of 30-point performances — in the latest edition of our Lynx Offseason Update series.
Bridget Carleton — ÇBK Mersin (Turkey)
The past week has been a busy one for Carleton, who finds herself on a new team from the last update a week ago. After starting her offseason with UNI Györ in Hungary, Carleton and the club agreed to part ways this past week, with Carleton landing with ÇBK Mersin in Turkey just a few days later.
Carleton hasn’t played with her new squad as of yet, but she will soon take the court in Turkey-KBSL action while building off an already strong offseason put together.
Season Stats:
- 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:
- Dec. 8 vs. Miskolc (72-58 win): eight points (4-7 FG, 0-5 3pt), nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal over 35 minuites
Alanna Smith — Shandong (China)
Smith has been all over the globe over the course of her WNBA career, currently playing for Shandong in China. During her career, Smith has played in Australia, Poland, and Turkey before landing with her current Chinese squad.
So far this offseason, Smith has put together many impressive performances in China-WCBA action, and over the past week she once again shined while reaching the 30-point mark for the first time.
Season Stats:
- China-WCBA: 13 games — 16.0 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, 2.2 SPG
Recent Games:
- Dec. 17 vs. Shanxi (77-68 loss): 12 points (4-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 12 rebounds, four steals and three assists
- Dec. 20 vs. Inner Mongolia (80-59 win): 30 points (10-13 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 4-8 FT), 11 rebounds and five assists
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.
As the offseason progresses, Juhász has seen her minute totals increase in Italy while having her production follow suit. This past week, Juhász reached double figures in scoring for the first time in a near double-double outing.
Season Stats:
- Italy-Serie A1: 5 games — 6.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 16.0 MPG
- Euroleague: 3 games — 4.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 18.3 MPG
Recent Games:
- Dec. 18 vs. ÇBK Mersin (86-52 loss): four points (2-3 FG, 0-2 3Pt), five rebounds, one assist and one steal over 18 minutes
- Dec. 22 vs. San Giovanni (67-61 win): 12 points (5-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-4 FT), eight rebounds, two blocks and one steal 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.
So far in Poland, Miller put together two very different performances. One game she dominated the glass in a double-double performance, while the other contest she shined offensively with her first 30-point outing of the offseason in a near double-double.
Season Stats:
- Poland-OBLK: 6 games — 19.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 31.8 MPG
- EuroCup: 4 games — 12.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 31.5 MPG
Recent Games:
- Dec. 19 vs. Besiktas (80-71 loss): 10 points (4-10 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-6 FT), 13 rebounds, one assist and one steal over 32 minutes
- Dec. 22 vs. Gdynia (81-77 loss): 31 points (4-10 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 8-10 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and two steals over 39 minutes
Natisha Hiedeman — Inner Mongolia (China)
As a soon-to-be WNBA free agent, Hiedeman is spending her offseason ahead of WNBA free agency overseas with Inner Mongolia in China. During her career, Hiedeman has also spent time in Israel, Russia, and Sweden before arriving in China.
With her Chinese squad, Hiedeman has gotten off to a nice start to China-WCBA play while providing a boost to her team as a floor general. This past week, she had one of her best weeks of the season thus far, capped by a 30-point outing which marked a new season high
Season Stats:
- China-WCBA: 13 games — 15.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.8 SPG
Recent Games:
- Dec. 17 vs. Fujian (103-80 win): 30 points (7-8 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 7-7 FT), five assists, five steals and four rebounds
- Dec. 20 vs. Inner Mongolia (80-59 loss): nine points (4-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds, two assists and one steal
Myisha Hines-Allen — Heilongjiang (China)
Also a soon-to-be free agent, HInes-Allen is spending her offseason in China while playing for Heilongjiang in the same league as her Lynx teammates Smith and Hiedeman. During her career, Hines-Allen has also played in France, Italy, South Korea, Russia and Turkey.
Hines-Allen has dominated in China-WCBA action all season long, and that trend continued over the past week with three straight double-doubles. The week was capped with a season high 38 points in a near triple-double performance.
Season Stats:
- China-WCBA: 15 games — 22.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 2.4 SPG
Recent Games:
- Dec. 16 vs. Tianjin (89-73 win): 27 points (11-18 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals
- Dec. 18 vs. Tianjin (86-68 win): 24 points (10-18 FG, 4-6 FT), 19 rebounds, three assists and one steal
- Dec. 21 vs. Liaoning (97-93 win): 38 points (11-15 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 16-18 FT), 11 rebounds, nine assists and two steals
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 has dominated in Greece while playing with Athinaikos AS Vurona, averaging 30 points and a double-double in Greece-A1 play, hauling in her seventh straight double-double in her lone appearance over the past week.
Season Stats:
- Greece-A1: 7 games — 30.0 PPG, 14.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 34.3 MPG
Recent Games:
- Dec. 15 vs. 30 points (11-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 8-15 FT), 17 rebounds, five assists and one steal over 40 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.
So far this offseason, Hirsch hasn’t seen a high level or production in France-BWL action, but has received more playing time so far in EuroCup play and has played some of her best basketball over the past week.
Season Stats:
- France-BWL: 5 games — 3.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 0.6 BPG, 14.2 MPG
- EuroCup: 2 games — 8.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 0.5 APG, 19.0 MPG
Recent Games:
- Dec. 12 vs. Constanta (88-69 win): eight points (4-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt), five rebounds and one steal over 20 minutes
- Dec. 15 vs. Chartres (75-56 win): four points (2-3 FG, 0-2 3Pt), three steals, two rebounds and one block over 15 minutes
- Dec. 18 vs. Constanta (91-71 win), nine points (3-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds an done assist over 18 minutes
- Dec. 21 vs. BLMA (65-44 loss): two points (1-1 FG, 0-2 3Pt) and two rebounds over 13 minutes
Not Yet Underway
While the players listed above have already begun their seasons across the globe, four more Lynx players will remain in the country and will take part in leagues in the United States at the start of the 2025 calendar year.
Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams are taking part in the new Unrivaled league, which is co-founded by Collier and Breanna Stewart. Former Lynx General Manager Clare Duwelius is also taking part in that league as an executive, serving as its General Manager and Executive Vice President.
Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 league featuring six players on six teams, will kick off its inaugural season in Miami on Jan. 17.
The fourth Lynx player remaining in the country but still playing is rookie Alissa Pili, who will take part in the Athletes Unlimited league. Athletes Unlimited, which was founded in 2022, will be taking the league to Nashville this season, kicking off the year on Feb. 5.
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.