In honor of their 25th anniversary season in 2023, the Minnesota Lynx are recognizing the top 25 players in franchise history during the month of March, which is Women’s History Month.
Each week in March, five players will be highlighted as part of the All-25 Team followed by a social media campaign highlighting their contributions to the Lynx franchise on and off the court.
To be qualified for the Lynx All-25 Team, the honor is strictly statistical and award-based, with the list being comprised of players who have scored more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, started over 50 games, were members of two or more WNBA Championship teams, represented Minnesota in the WNBA All-Star Game or were end-of-season WNBA award winners while playing for the Lynx.
This week, the first full week of March, the Lynx announced the first five players on the All-25 Team. Here’s a look at who made the first wave of players.
Nicky Anosike
The first player on the list is center Nicky Anosike, who played with the Lynx from 2008-10 and spent five years in the WNBA. Anosike broke into the WNBA in 2008 as a second-round draft pick out of Tennessee, jumping into a starting role with Minnesota right out of the gate in her rookie campaign.
In her rookie season in 2008, Anosike averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks while starting in all 34 regular-season games en route to earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team. In 2009, she averaged career-high marks of 13.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.7 steals over 30 games while receiving All-Star honors and a spot on the All-Defensive First Team. In 2010, she started in 31 games and averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, two steals, 1.9 assists and one block per game.
Anosike’s time with the Lynx came to an end in 2011 when she was traded to the Washington Mystics in exchange for a 2012 first-round draft pick (which ended up being Devereaux Peters). Over her three-year Lynx tenure, Anosike averaged 10.5 points, seven rebounds and two assists over 95 games.
Crystal Dangerfield
Next on the first wave of players is point guard Crystal Dangerfield, who played for the Lynx from 2020-21 and is currently still playing in the WNBA with the Dallas Wings. Dangerfield joined Minnesota and the WNBA in 2020 when she was selected out of UConn in the second round of the draft.
Dangerfield made her mark right away as a rookie, averaging 16.2 points, 3.6 assists and two rebounds in 21 games and 19 starts en route to earning Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie Team honors. Dangerfield was the second consecutive Lynx player to win Rookie of the Year, with Napheesa Collier winning it in 2019, making her the fifth Minnesota player to claim that award. In 2021, Dangerfield appeared in 31 games and started in 10 of those, averaging 7.7 points, 2.8 assists and two rebounds per game.
Dangerfield’s time with the Lynx came to a close in 2022 when she was released by the team out of training camp after failing to receive a final roster spot. Before landing in Dallas this offseason, Dangerfield played for the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty in 2022. In two seasons in Minnesota, she finished with averages of 8.9 points, 2.9 assists and two rebounds in 85 career games.
Charde Houston
Forward Charde Houston is the next player appointed to the Lynx All-25 Team, spending time in Minnesota from 2008-11 and totaling seven years in the WNBA before retiring in 2014. Houston entered the league as the second pick in the third round of the 2008 WNBA Draft out of UConn, contributing at the pro level right away.
While in Minnesota, Houston’s best season came in 2009 when she averaged career-high marks of 13.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals over 34 games and 33 starts. During that season, Houston received her lone All-Star selection in her sophomore campaign. In 2011, Houston played a limited role off the bench but was part of the first WNBA championship team in Lynx history, also earning the 2011 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award for presenting characteristics of a leader in the community and reflects Staley’s leadership, spirit, charitable efforts and love for the game.
In the offseason prior to the 2012 season, Houston was traded to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange of draft picks, finishing out her career with the Mercury (2012-13) and Liberty (2014). Over her four-year career in Minnesota, Houston averaged 9.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and one steal over 128 games.
Devereaux Peters
Two-time WNBA champion Devereaux Peters is next on the list, spending time with the Lynx organization to begin her career from 2012-15 prior to calling it a career in 2018. The forward became a professional in 2012 when she was selected by Minnesota with the third overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft out of Notre Dame.
Throughout her career in Minnesota, Peters played a limited role off the bench for the Lynx, starting in two games in her rookie season and two games during her sophomore campaign in 2013. Her best season came during her 2012 rookie year, averaging 5.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 30 appearances. Peters totaled 31 playoff games with the Lynx, helping the team to WNBA titles in 2013 and 2015.
In the offseason before the 2016 season, Peters was traded to Indiana in exchange for Natasha Howard, going to play the rest of her career with Indiana in 2016 and Phoenix in 2018. In four years with the Lynx, Peters averaged 4.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 125 career games.
Odyssey Sims
The final player to round out the initial list of five All-25 Team members is guard Odyssey Sims, who spent two different stints with the Lynx over her career. Sims first played for Minnesota from 2019-20, returning to the team briefly in 2022 while concluding that year with the Connecticut Sun and most recently playing in Athletes Unlimited Basketball this offseason. Sims entered the WNBA in 2014 when she was selected by the Tulsa Shock with the second overall draft pick out of Baylor.
After playing the first three seasons with Tulsa/Dallas, Sims played two seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks before being traded to Minnesota in 2019 in exchange of Alexis Jones. Sims had a breakout year in 2019, averaging career-highs of 14.5 points, 5.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals over 34 games while earning All-Star and WNBA Second Team honors. In 2020, she posted 9.4 points, 3.5 assists and two rebounds in 27 games, later being traded to Indiana in exchange of draft picks in 2021.
Sims returned for a brief time in 2022, playing in two games with the Lynx, but then was waived. Over two-plus seasons in Minnesota, Sims has averaged 13.1 points, 4.9 assists, three rebounds and 1.1 steals over 47 games.
Check back here next week for the second of five rounds of players as part of the Lynx All-25 Team.