The Lynx's slow start may not be a bad thing
The Minnesota Lynx came away with a victory on Saturday night but Tiffany Mitchell's layup was a rare bright spot in what has been a tough season.
With a 1-6 record, only the Seattle Storm (0-4) have gotten off to a worse start than the Lynx and with just over 20 percent of the season gone, it may seem like a lost season for one of the WNBA's most successful franchises.
But a slow start may not be a bad thing, not only because the Lynx have been here before but it could also paint a brighter future.
The Lynx were in a similar situation one year ago, when they stumbled out of the gate with a four-game losing streak and went 3-13 in their first 16 games. Sylvia Fowles' return from a knee injury helped the Lynx go on and win seven of their next 10 games and made a run at a playoff berth before falling to the Connecticut Sun in the final game of the season.
The Lynx can look back at last season and say, "We've been here before" and use that mantra to fuel a run to the playoffs. But even if Diamond Miller returns from an ankle injury sooner than expected, she's still a rookie that may not have the same impact that Fowles, who is a four-time WNBA champion, had a year ago.
This could mean a long summer for the Lynx but it doesn't mean that it will lead to a dark future.
The WNBA's lottery system involves the four teams that didn't make the playoffs and gives them a guaranteed top-four pick in the following draft. With the lottery odds being determined by the records of the past two seasons, the Lynx could have an excellent chance of owning a better pick after finishing last year with a 14-22 record.
A lot has been made of the WNBA's surplus of talent as the Dallas Wings recently waived 2021 No. 1 overall pick Charli Collier in a numbers game last month. But this year's class seems to have some staying power and the Lynx could have their shot at three franchise-caliber prospects.
That includes LSU forward Angel Reese, who burst onto the scene with 23 points and 15.4 rebounds per game to lead the Tigers to their first national championship last season.
Reese's rival, Iowa guard Caitlyn Clark, would also be a top pick as she averaged 27.8 points, 8.6 assists and 7.1 rebounds while leading the Hawkeyes to the national championship game last season.
But this is Minnesota and we love a good origin story. What if Hopkins native Paige Bueckers returns from injury and dominates college basketball? Would she stay for a final season at UConn or would she be the Lynx's second coming of Lindsay Whalen, a Minnesota native who led Minnesota to four WNBA titles in the 2010s?
It's certainly not out of the question. Bueckers averaged 20 points, 5.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds as a freshman for the Huskies but saw her numbers drop to 14.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists as she battled through a knee injury in her sophomore season.
After missing her junior season due to a torn ACL, Bueckers is set to return next winter and could be in line to be the next great hometown hero for the Lynx.
Will it make enduring a rough season any easier? Probably not. But Lynx fans would probably be more forgiving if it landed a franchise player and even more so if that player happened to be from Minnesota.
