Minnesota Lynx Finalize and Announce Opening Night Roster

Minnesota Lynx President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Cheryl Reeve and General Manager Clare Duwelius used all the time afforded to them ahead of Thursday’s 4 PM CT deadline to cut their roster down to the required 11 players.

The team announced they waived forwards Damiris Dantas and Taylor Soule shortly after 4 PM local time. Dantas, an eight-year veteran forward, spent the last four seasons in Minnesota but has struggled to remain on the court for a full season the last few years. Soule, who was selected out of Virginia Tech with the 28th pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, quickly became a fan favorite in Minnesota while appearing in both preseason games with the Lynx.

The Lynx will be able to carry a 12th player via a hardship exception for the value of a veteran’s minimum or a rookie scale contract for forward Natalie Achonwa, who gave birth to a happy, healthy baby boy, Maverick, last month. Neither Achonwa (who is in the final year of her contract) or the Lynx have publicly discussed a timeline for her potential return to play. Achonwa, who is the treasurer of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, will be paid in full for the time she misses while on maternity leave, a key point she and WNBPA leadership players negotiated for in the most recent collective bargaining agreement.

Here are the final 12 players who made the opening night roster, in alphabetical order based on position:

Guards

• Lindsay Allen
• Rachel Banham
• Kayla McBride
• Tiffany Mitchell
• Aerial Powers

Forwards

• Natalie Achonwa*
• Bridget Carleton
• Napheesa Collier
• Nina Milić
• Diamond Miller

Centers

• Dorka Juhász
• Jessica Shepard

The Minnesota Lynx will open up the 2023 regular season, the franchise’s 25th anniversary season, on Friday night when they host the Chicago Sky at 7 PM CT at Target Center.