| 2023 Minnesota Lynx season | |
|---|---|
| Coach | Cheryl Reeve |
| Arena | Target Center |
| Attendance | 7,777 per game |
| Results | |
| Record | 19–21 (.475) |
| Place | 3rd (Western) |
| Playoff finish | 6th seed; Lost 1st Round 1–2 to Connecticut |
| Team Leaders | |
| Points | Napheesa Collier - 21.5 |
| Rebounds | Napheesa Collier - 8.5 |
| Assists | Lindsay Allen - 4.5 |
| Media | |
| Television | Bally Sports North ESPN CBS Sports Network ION Amazon Prime Video |
The 2023 Minnesota Lynx season was the 25th season for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the fourteenth season under head coach Cheryl Reeve.
Reeve signed a multi-year contract extension to return as Head Coach in November, while also moving from General Manager to President of Basketball Operations.[1] On December 13, 2022, the Lynx announced Clare Duwelius as the fourth General Manager in franchise history.
The Lynx earned the second overall pick through the 2023 WNBA Draft Lottery. They went into the lottery selection holding the fourth best odds to get the first overall pick, but still moved up two selections.[2]
On November 22, 2022, Natalie Achonwa announced her pregnancy via Instagram.[3]
The WNBA announced that the first WNBA Canada Game would feature the Chicago Sky and the Lynx on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. This would be the first-ever WNBA preseason game in Canada.[4]
On September 4, Napheesa Collier was announced as the first-ever winner of the Sylvia Fowles Altruism Award. The Sylvia Fowles Altruism Award will be an annual award recognizing a Lynx player who best embodies the altruistic traits of kindness, selflessness and overall regard for the well-being of others throughout the community. [5]
The Lynx season started out slowly as they lost five straight games to start the season, ending May 0–5. The losing streak was extended to six as the Lynx lost their first game in June. They won their first game of the season on June 3. They followed up the win with another loss, but then beat Los Angeles back to back. They lost two of their next three games, but won two straight games against Seattle to end June with a 6–4 record. Their two game win streak carried over into July, where the Lynx won their first three games of the month. This five game winning streak was followed by a three game losing streak. The Lynx would win four of their last five games of the month to finish July with a 7–4 record, and make it back to .500 overall. The better fortunes would not stick around to begin August as the Lynx lost three of their first four games. They did win three of their next four before losing the last two games of the month to finish August 4–6. Entering September, the Lynx were solidly in the hunt for a playoff spot. They won their first two games of the month and secured a playoff spot on September 5. They would lose their last two games of the season and finish September 2–2.
The Lynx finished the season 19–21, which saw them finish in a tie for fifth place in the playoff standings. In the tiebreaker with the Atlanta Dream and the Washington Mystics they finished second. The tiebreaker was overall record against the teams and Minnesota was 3–3. As the sixth overall seed in the 2023 WNBA Playoffs the Lynx would face off against the Connecticut Sun, with the first two games of the series being in Connecticut. In the first game of the series, the Sun got off to a hot start and ended up winning game one 90–60. Needing to win to force a third game, the Lynx won a close game in Connecticut 82–75. However, they could not seal the series at home, losing 75–90 to end their season.