Fansided

WNBA Season Preview 2019: Every team’s biggest question

By Miles Wray

LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 19: Kayla McBride #21 of Las Vegas Aces handles the ball against the Minnesota Lynx on May 19, 2019 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 19: Kayla McBride #21 of Las Vegas Aces handles the ball against the Minnesota Lynx on May 19, 2019 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN- MAY 10: Odyssey Sims #1 and Danielle Robinson #3 of the Minnesota Lynx look on during the game against the Washington Mystics on May 10, 2019 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN- MAY 10: Odyssey Sims #1 and Danielle Robinson #3 of the Minnesota Lynx look on during the game against the Washington Mystics on May 10, 2019 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Minnesota Lynx: How do the Lynx measure if this was a successful year?

The first bombshell of this winter’s free agency was the news that Maya Moore would be sitting out the 2019 season for personal reasons. Given that the Lynx went an uncharacteristic 18-16 last year with Moore on the roster, it feels safe to assume that, for the first time in a decade, the Lynx are not title contenders heading into this season. Since the Lynx can anticipate Moore’s return in 2020, though, the Lynx are in a situation with few historical precedents in either the WNBA or NBA: most of a dynastic core is still intact, but aging, while the leader of the team is going to miss precisely one year before returning at full health.

While it seemed plausible that the Lynx would pivot to a quick one-year tear-down in order to make the roster younger, Minnesota spent free agency adding quietly solid veterans like Damiris Dantas, Karima Christmas-Kelly, and Erlana Larkins, in addition to bringing back franchise legend Seimone Augustus for one year. None of the moves are bad on their own, but it’s difficult to see how they fit into a long-term plan, with most of the roster due to hit free agency again on Moore’s 2020 return. So: what counts as a successful campaign here in 2019?