The Minnesota Lynx are off to a historic start to the 2025 season as they attempt to return to the WNBA Finals, and something that has fed into the success and will continue to do so in the postseason has been the play of Minnesota’s second unit.
After an impressive 2024 WNBA season where the Minnesota Lynx stormed onto the scene and returned to the WNBA Finals, the retooled Lynx have picked up right where they left off with a historic start to the 2025 season.
Through nearly 20 games in the regular season, Minnesota has been the best team in the WNBA, not only record-wise but in nearly every statistical category. Entering their game against Phoenix on July 9, the Lynx hold a 4.5-game lead on first place in the standings with a 17-2 record. Along with that, they have WNBA-leading offensive and defensive ratings while setting a franchise record with an 11-0 start when playing at home at Target Center.
Simply, Minnesota has dominated. And appears to be even better than the WNBA Finals team in 2024.
Yes, the stellar starting five of Napheesa Collier, Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, Alanna Smith and Bridget Carleton have been large reasons for the strong start. But another big reason for the success of the Lynx thus far has been the play behind them off the bench.
The second unit has played well and has helped spark this team when they need it, and the play of the bench could end up being the difference maker down the stretch of the postseason to get Minnesota over the hump this year.
Bench Production
Minnesota’s bench play was strong a season ago, ranking in the top five in the WNBA in overall bench production. But some key additions this offseason who weren’t on the 2024 squad has made a big impact thus far.
In 2024, the Lynx bench ranked fourth in scoring (18.0 points per game), third in offensive rating (42.1) and ninth in defensive rating (42.4).
Through 19 games in 2025, they rank eighth in scoring (19.6 points per game) and fifth in offensive rating (43.5), but defensively they have improved as a unit with the fourth-best defensive rating (38.5).
Sure, Minnesota’s bench has taken a small slide back when it comes to offensive rankings, but its overall offensive production has improved compared to a season ago. And defensively, that second unit is even better.
Key Contributors
Though there have been numerous players who have stepped up off the bench and have contributed to the success of the Lynx second unit, but there are three players in particular who have stood out and shined so far this season.
Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images
Natisha Hiedeman
When Natisha Hiedeman drives to the basket, she’s a blur. Her bleached hair zips by you like a bolt of lightning and by the time you realize what happened, it’s time to get the ball out of the net.
Hiedeman is valuable for the exact opposite reason that Jessica Shepard is, in that she gives the Lynx a completely different look when she’s out there. Something that people still forget about is that Courtney Williams was never a true point guard before she came to Minnesota. Hiedeman always has been. There are times that you need more of that true point guard play and Hiedeman has with her skillset. She can help organize things offensively and get Minnesota back into good actions if that is what the game calls for.
On the opposite end of that spectrum, she is extremely good at injecting pace into Minnesota’s offense. The next Lynx game you watch, keep track of when Hiedeman enters the game and how the Lynx look after she does. You’ll notice the ball jets up the court and the player movement ticks up as well. This fosters good offense and even better shots for her team.
Statistically, Hiedeman is second on the team in net rating at +17.6, only behind newcomer Maria Kliundikova, who has played in nine games. Defensively, Hiedeman is more than willing to take the assignment of the opposing point guard and make life difficult. She will pressure the ball and make it that much more difficult for other teams to get into their sets. While she is on the shorter side, she is fully aware of those limitations and uses her quickness to blow by defenders. Hiedeman is very good at sensing a post player coming over to block her shot and passing out to open cutters and shooters off her drives. With the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio (2.77) on the team, Hiedeman’s skillset off the bench provides the prototypical change of pace point guard who can wreak havoc creating scoring runs that crush the opponents spirits — and you can bet she’ll be having fun while doing so.
Natisha Hiedeman has Jacy Sheldon playing hide-and-seek out here with the hesi
T is putting together a helluva a mixtape this season pic.twitter.com/pC3U7XHJVq
— Canis Hoopus (@canishoopus) June 29, 2025
Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images
Jessica Shepard
Shepard has been a revelation holding down the frontcourt off the bench for the Lynx this season. After missing the 2024 season due to overseas commitments, Minnesota greatly missed her presence last year and her addition to the roster in 2025 has been the perfect ingredient to the Lynx bench this summer. This reserve role was one that Minnesota had to fulfill externally last season with a midseason trade for Myisha Hines-Allen. And though Hines-Allen did a good job filling this role after the deadline last season, seeing what Shepard has brought to the table this year is hard to argue against the improvement in this spot on the roster.
Shepard’s blend of bruising physicality, offensive rebounding prowess and deep understanding of how the Lynx want to play basketball is a luxury to have off the bench if you’re head coach Cheryl Reeve. Shepard leads the Lynx with 2.5 offensive rebounds per game, generating extra looks for a potent offense. Before the shots even go up, she uses her dribble hand-off game, tough screens and high post offensive hub talents to keep the offense moving even when the stars are off the court. She is a great passer for a big, using that vision to find players on backdoor cuts and post-ups.
On defense, she provides the back line physicality making it hard on opposing offenses to score even when Alanna Smith has to rest. The value of playing this way for 40 minutes a game makes it easier for the Lynx to execute their defensive scheme so they don’t have to change their approach on that end of the court. This constant physicality makes opponents fatigued as the game — and eventual playoff series — wear on.
Combining her on-court value with the continuity factor of being with the organization since 2019, it’s the perfect mix for a team with championship aspirations. Shepard has Reeve’s trust, and that is massive for a team that is chasing a title.
Very similar play against the Sky.
Phee clears out so Shepard and McBride can flow into some empty-side work. McBride with the quick read backdoor, and Shepard is in sync.
When the defender is top locking and denying like that, they are almost asking for it. https://t.co/AQaytc7OzQ pic.twitter.com/hjMGwRpVIi
— Jonah (@Huncho_Jman) July 7, 2025
Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images
Diamond Miller
With the Karlie Samuelson season-ending foot injury, the Lynx needed someone to rise up and take the mantle for the backup wing position. They have the reserves bookended by Hiedeman and Shepard at the point guard and center positions, but having someone thriving at the in-between slot is huge for any team looking to go as far as the Lynx want to.
That’s where Diamond Miller enters the equation.
Miller has had an up-and-down start to her WNBA career. Injuries combined with the Lynx being as good as they were last year made it tough for a rehabbing player to get the playing time needed to get up to speed with the professional game. But that never stopped Miller from working. She has continued to show up with a positive attitude and work hard to be ready when an opportunity presents itself. The combination of Samuelson’s injury and the need for a scoring punch off the bench gave Miller that chance, and she is seizing it right now.
After starting the season in and out of the rotation, it seems like Miller is starting to put it together with a chance for a real role as the season progresses. She has played double-digit minutes in seven of the last eight games and has had a couple of energy spurts to help Minnesota go on runs when the second unit is out there. None better than the recent Chicago on July 6, where she scored 10 points and nabbed five rebounds in the win against Chicago. Not only is she stepping up as an offensive threat off the bench, but she is bringing the energy on the defensive end which only feeds into offensive production.
The talent never left, it was just masked by injuries and inconsistency. When you watch Miller play, you can sense the passion she has for the game and the energy she brings as a result. When she does something good, you and everyone else is going to know about it. The best part is when she finishes a tough driving layup, drains a three or creates disruption with her hustle, you can hear the excitement of her yells in Target Center from Duluth. That excitement galvanizes the team, and brings a squad that is already close even closer together.
Miller is going to have a real shot at being a difference maker this season, and it’s exciting to see her meeting that challenge.
A spark off the bench
Diamond Miller comes in and makes an immediate impact for the @minnesotalynx!
CHI-MIN | League Pass pic.twitter.com/opS2D364CJ
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 6, 2025
Coming into the season, we all knew the Lynx were a deep team and that would benefit the team down the stretch of the year and the postseason. But we perhaps didn’t quite realize just how big the bench would play immediately behind a strong starting five.
And that constant support and production from the second unit could be what makes the difference for Minnesota in 2025 as it attempt to revenge a heartbreaking Finals loss in 2024.