The Minnesota Lynx have defied expectations by starting the WNBA season 7-2, despite losing five of last year's top scorers to free agency and missing Napheesa Collier to offseason ankle surgeries. Coach Cheryl Reeve has built chemistry with rookie Olivia Miles, creating a cohesive unit that leads the league defensively while ranking second in scoring.

Minnesota's offseason departures included Bridget Carleton (3-year, $3.7M deal), Jessica Shepard (2-year, $2.05M), and Alanna Smith (3-year, $3.7M). The Lynx retained key players like Kayla McBride on a two-year, $2.4 million contract while adding Natasha Howard and Nia Coffey to reshape the roster around Reeve's system.

The team's success stems from their defensive principles and ball movement, ranking first in points allowed (78.9) and second in scoring (90.9). "The egoless nature of our team, the everybody-eats kind of mindset," Miles said, noting how the Lynx's connection creates matchup problems for opponents regardless of who's on the court.