The demolition and rebuilding of the Lynx

The WNBA has entered a new world, of fatter contracts and expansion teams. And it's TEARING ME APART! 

Well, okay, I'm fine, but it has been quite a week and change for Lynx fans like myself. 

It started with the expansion draft. I hated how they did this before free agency, cause the Lynx (as did all teams) had to protect players who were actually free agents. I still don't really understand it. 

The 1st pick to the Portlan Fire was Bridget Carleton. I figured she was gone anyway, and she did have a disappointing 2025, but I was still sad to see her go. 
The Toronto Tempo (atrocious name) took Maria "Masha" Kliundikova from us. 

Then, the actual free agency came, and it was a bloodbath of departures. Alanna Smith to Dallas. Jessica Shepard to...also Dallas. Natasha Hiedeman to Seattle. Dijonai Carrington to Chicago. Everybody was leaving.

I get that this was the 1st chance for these players to get the kind of money they got. Lan and Shepard got max deals. I get we had no chance to keep everybody, but it bugged me that everyone was bolting  

The only move we had made was to "core" Napheesa Collier, but then Cheryl Reeve got to work. 
Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams were re-signed. Natasha Howard, a Lynx from long ago, and Nia Coffey, one of us, were signed. And Cheryl signed a couple of Czech players who sound super promising.

Then came the draft. I was pretty much all in on Lauren Betts, who just led UCLA to a dominant title. I think she is going to be an instant star. 

But I was a little worried that the thinner backcourt roster meant the Lynx would instead take PG Olivia Miles. 

They took Miles. I get it. A true point guard was badly needed (Williams is not one), but I am just not sure I trust a rookie PG to make the kind of instant impact. And man, Betts was right there. But if Miles works out, she will be a core piece of the team for years.

The Lynx also drafted guard Lani White, and will be bringing ex-Gopher Amaya Battle into camp. 
And the best news of all was confirmation that my beloved Dorka Juhasz will be back, once she finishes up kicking ass in Europe.

So where do the Lynx stand? Well, Phee is going to be out for an uncertain amount of the season, anywhere from weeks to the whole season, depending on who you ask.

My guess at the opening night starting 5 is Miles, Williams, McBride, Howard, and either Coffey or Dorka. There are still some free agents out there, too. i don't know what the cap situation is at this point, but let's go get another frontcourt weapon. 

It seems like Vegas and New York, who both seem to be cheating the salary cap, will fight for the title. But if the Lynx can assemble a playoff roster, they could also sneak in there with a healthy Phee, as the proverbial team nobody wants to play.

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