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.
The conclusion of the 2024 calendar year is officially here as we await the start of 2025 and start preparing for free agency, the WNBA Draft in April and ultimately the 2025 WNBA season starting in May.
Before we flip the calendar from 2024 to 2025, players have continued to play across the globe during the offseason.
For the Minnesota Lynx, they 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 players 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 2024 draws to a close and the offseason continues, let’s take a look at how each of the Lynx players performed over the past week in the latest edition of our Lynx Offseason Update series.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year!
Bridget Carleton — ÇBK Mersin (Turkey)
Now with Carleton playing with ÇBK Mersin in Turkey after starting the offseason with UNI Györ in Hungary, she looks to continue a strong offseason put together thus far.
Over the past week, however, Carleton didn’t take the court for her new squad, yet to appear for the Turkish club.
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 minutes
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 a strong season, rounding out 2024 by putting up two more double-doubles over the past week.
Season Stats:
- China-WCBA: 16 games — 15.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.0 SPG
Recent Games:
- Dec. 22 vs. Beijing (81-77 loss): 19 points (4-8 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 5-8 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals
- Dec. 25 vs. Hebei (78-63 win): 10 points (5-14 FG), six rebounds, two assists and two steals
- Dec. 28 vs. Fujian (86-70 win): 17 points (4-7 FG, 3-4 3Pt), 15 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. However, over the past week, Juhász and Famila Schio didn’t have any games on the schedule, next taking the court in the new year.
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.
Over the past week, Miller took the court for one game, taking a bit of a step back from what we’ve seen in previous weeks from her on the offensive end of the floor. Miller not only posted her lowest minute total in the win, but tallied just her third game of the offseason with a single-digit point total.
Season Stats:
- Poland-OBLK: 7 games — 17.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 29.1 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. 29 vs. Polonia Warszaw (82-79 win): eight points (1-4 FG, 2-2 3Pt), one rebound and one assist over 13 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. After posting her first 30-point outing a week ago, over the past week she struggled shooting a bit from the field but still helped her squad on both ends of the court in two games. f
Season Stats:
- China-WCBA: 15 games — 14.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.0 SPG
Recent Games:
- Dec. 22 vs. Sichuan (91-84 loss): 13 points (3-4 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-7 FT), six rebounds, three assists and two steals
- Dec. 25 vs. Jiangsu (87-80 win): 11 points (1-5 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 0-1 FT), five assists, four rebounds and four steals
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 continued to dominate in China-WCBA action this season, once again putting up eye-popping numbers in one game over the past week. In that lone contest, she recorded her second 30-point, 20-rebound performance while securing her sixth game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Season Stats:
- China-WCBA: 16 games — 22.9 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 4.6 APG, 2.3 SPG
Recent Games:
- Dec. 23 vs. Liaoning (69-65 win): 36 points (13-22 FG, 10-12 FT), 20 rebounds, six assists and one steal
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. Over the past week, she had the week off as we draw the 2024 calendar year to a close.
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 as of late. Over the past week, she didn’t appear in any games as we await the start of 2025.
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! Happy New Year to all of you and will catch up with you next week with another Lynx Offseason Update.