The 30th WNBA season is upon us, and the Minnesota Lynx officially got their season underway on Saturday night at Target Center.
Minnesota welcomed in the Atlanta Dream for the season opener in Minneapolis, a matchup between two teams with some new key faces on the roster this season.
In the end, it was a contest that came down to the final seconds, with Atlanta stealing the opener on the road and handing Minnesota with a heartbreaking loss after leading most of the contest.
Minnesota, which led by
as much as 19 points in the game, gave up the lead late in the fourth quarter, with Te-Hina Paopao hitting the game-winning jumper with 11.3 seconds left to seal the deal for Atlanta, 91-90.
Strong Start, Disappointing Finish Showing on Both Ends
Minnesota got off to a hot start to the game, quickly putting the overwhelming hesitation among Lynx fans of what this new-look team would look like to rest.
The Lynx not only looked like they haven’t skipped much of a beat offensively, but they looked strong defensively and that allowed for them to get out in front early against the Dream. In the opening half, Minnesota forced Atlanta into 14 turnovers, resulting in 20 points. On the other end, the Lynx committed just four turnovers, resulting in one Dream point.
In the second half, however, Atlanta climbed its way back and kept things within check, also taking the Lynx out of the flow of things offensively most of the second half — something that might continue to be an issue until Napheesa Collier returns from injury. The Dream would end up evening the game up in the fourth quarter, going back-and-forth with the Lynx until Paopao hit the dagger in the final seconds. Minnesota did have a chance at the buzzer, only to have Emese Hof miss a layup as time expired.
Four Lynx players finished in double figures in the game (Olivia Miles, McBride, Courtney Williams, Emma Cechova), with a total of 10 players taking the court in the season opener.
In the end, Minnesota forced Atlanta into 21 turnovers (resulting in 27 Lynx points). On the other end, the Lynx committed 15 turnovers, resulting in 15 Dream points. Minnesota saw a total of nine players score in the win, also holding a 26-14 advantage in bench points.
Debut Performances
Not only was this the first game of the year for every Lynx player, but it was the awaited debuts for a few Minnesota players who stepped on the WNBA court for the first time in the contest: Olivia Miles, Emma Cechova, Antonia Delaere and Emese Hof. Eliska Hamzova, who is also a rookie, didn’t appear in the contest.
Two players immediately stood out: Miles and Cechova.
Miles, the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, looked steady for a rookie, earning the starting nod at point guard and finishing with a team-high 21 points, eight assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 34 minutes. According to Across the Timeline, she is the first player to record 20 or more points, five or more assists, two or more steals and two or more blocks in a WNBA debut.
Cechova came off the bench, hitting the ground running with 12 points, three rebounds and one block in 19 minutes.
The replays are just 🤌 Minnesota Miles is disgusting…
— Leo S (@yoleo.bsky.social) May 9, 2026 at 7:55 PM
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Along with Miles and Cechova, Delaere tallied two points and one steal in 13 minutes and Hof had two points in four minutes.
Collier Out of Boot, Juhász Still in One
One of the storylines coming into the season was the fact that Minnesota would be without two key players right out of the gate: Napheesa Collier and Dorka Juhász.
Both players are dealing with foot injuries, with Collier recovering from ankle surgery this offseason and Juhász recovering from a mid-foot sprain that was sustained during the EuroLeague playoffs in April.
In the season opener at Target Center, Collier was seen on the bench without a boot on, which is of course a good sign. The team announced before the season began that her target date to resume on-court activities is early June.
On the other hand, Juhász was seen on the Lynx bench during the game with her boot still on. Two days before the season opener, the team announced Juhász is “progressing as expected and will continue her rehabilitation in consultation with Mayo Clinic foot and ankle specialists.” There is no known timetable for her return.
Coming Soon: Lynx Weekly
With the start of the new season, the team here at Canis Hoopus is also going to be rolling out a new series that will appear each week throughout the year season.
Lynx Weekly will be published each week, looking back at the week that was for the Lynx and providing some notes, analysis and more on what we saw from Minnesota that week. This format will replace our traditional recaps published after each game.
We look forward to providing you the same great Lynx content you have known and enjoyed here at Canis Hoopus all season long!
