Sky 74, Lynx 69: Let the (Preseason) Games Begin

Minnesota opened up preseason play Tuesday in Chicago, the first of two preseason contests against the Sky before the regular season begins May 16.

After weeks of preparation, the Minnesota Lynx finally stepped on the court for the first time in the 2025 WNBA season on Tuesday in Chicago.

Minnesota opened up preseason play in The Windy City, the first of two preseason contests against the Chicago Sky that concludes with a preseason finale on Saturday in Minneapolis.

With four notable players inactive — Kayla McBride, Dorka Juhász, Diamond Miller, and Jessica Shepard — the Lynx had 11 players step on the court, ultimately coming up short against Chicago 74-69 in the first action of the preseason.

Slow Start, Battling Back

Minnesota got off to a rough start offensively in Tuesday’s contest, falling behind by as much as 13 points in the opening quarter. The Lynx struggled shooting the ball, shooting just 16.7% from the field in the first frame.

In the second quarter, Minnesota bounced back behind an 11-0 run to open the quarter, bringing the game to single-digits despite shooting just 37.1% from the field and going 1-for-12 from three in the first half.

To conclude the game in the second half, the Lynx fought back and even led by as much as three at one point, resulting in a back-and-forth battle down the stretch. But in the final minutes, Chicago went on a run to pull out in front and create enough room to take down Minnesota and avoid a Lynx comeback.

Who Stood Out

Numerous players stepped up for Minnesota at various moments in the contest, with the game seeing an even spread of action for players, as you expect in a preseason game.

Among the starting unit of Courtney Williams, Natisha Hiedeman, Bridget Carleton, Napheesa Collier, and Alanna Smith — a group that surprisingly struggled a bit shooting the ball — Smith led the way with a near double-double of 10 points, nine boards, and four assists in 21 minutes.

On the bench, however, is where the most intriguing performances came. Leading the way for the second unit was Alissa Pili with nine points and two steals over a bench-leading 18 minutes, Marième Badiane (more on her below) with seven points and two blocks over 14 minutes, and Grace Berger with seven points in 15 minutes.

Pair of WNBA Debuts

Though there were multiple players off the bench that made their debut with the Lynx, two stepped on the court for the first time when Marième Badiane and Anastasiia Olairi Kosu made their WNBA debuts.

Badiane, a 30-year-old rookie who came over from France over the offseason, provided a nice lift in the second quarter when she entered the game for the first time. She looked like a natural fit within the flow of the offense and has the confidence that will translate well to the WNBA.

Kosu, a 20-year-old rookie who came over from Russia after being drafted 15th overall by the Lynx in the 2025 WNBA Draft, entered the game for the first time in the fourth quarter and finished with four points and four rebounds over six minutes.

Next Up

Minnesota and Chicago will face off for the second time in less than a week this weekend, concluding preseason play on May 10 with a rematch at Target Center.

The preseason finale will tip off at 7 PM CT and will be aired locally in Minnesota on FanDuel Sports Network North.