The 2022 Minnesota Lynx season was the 24th season for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the 13th season under head coach Cheryl Reeve.

The season tipped-off on May 6, 2022, versus the Seattle Storm.

On November 28, 2021, Napheesa Collier announced her pregnancy with an announcement in People Magazine. Collier stated, "“I am very excited to start a family with my fiancé Alex. Having a child is truly a beautiful journey and I am grateful to have the support of our families, friends and the Lynx as I begin this special chapter of motherhood.” On December 8, 2021, Cheryl Reeve was named the new United States women's national basketball team head coach for the 2021-2024 cycle.

On February 1, 2022, the Lynx opened free agency and re-signed Sylvia Fowles to a one-year deal. Fowles also announced at this time that this season would be her last and she would be retiring following the 2022 season.

The Lynx struggled to start the season, losing their first four games and only winning two games in the first month of the season. They finished May 2–7 overall. Their struggles continued into June as they won only one of the first seven games in the month and went on a five game losing streak. However, their fortunes improved at the end of the month as they won three of their last four games to finish the month 4–7. The momentum carried over into July and the Lynx won four of their first six games, but then only won two of their last five games to finish the season 6–5. A better August might have seen the Lynx qualify for the playoffs, but they finished the month 2–3, which left them one game out of the eighth and final playoff spot. This was the first time since 2010, the Lynx missed the playoffs and had a sub-.500 record. This ended the WNBA’s longest active playoff streak at 12 straight years.

Moriah Jefferson recorded the first-ever triple-double in Lynx history on June 28, 2022. She had 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 92–64 victory over her former team, the Dallas Wings. The 10 assists were also a career-high for Jefferson.

Napheesa Collier returned to the court on August 7, 2022, just 10 and half weeks after giving birth to her daughter. She finished with 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block in the game.

Transactions

WNBA draft

Round Pick Player Nationality School/team/country 2 22 Kayla Jones NC State 3 28 Hannah Sjerven South Dakota

Trades and Roster Changes DateTransaction January 3, 2022 Extended Qualifying Offers to Anna Cruz and Bridget Carleton January 4, 2022 Signed Bridget Carleton to a Qualifying Offer January 12, 2022 Promoted Katie Smith to Associate head coach February 1, 2022 Re-signed Sylvia Fowles to a One-Year Deal February 2, 2022 Signed Angel McCoughtry to a One-Year Deal February 8, 2022 Signed Layshia Clarendon to a One-Year Deal Signed Rachel Banham to a training-camp contract February 18, 2022 Signed Yvonne Turner and Natasha Mack to training-camp contracts April 10, 2022 Traded the #8 and #13 picks in the 2022 WNBA draft to the Las Vegas Aces in exchange for a First and a Second Round Pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft April 13, 2022 Signed Kayla Jones and Hannah Sjerven to rookie-scale contracts Signed Chloe Bibby, CeCe Hooks, and Moon Ursin to training-camp contracts April 15, 2022 Waived Natasha Mack April 28, 2022 Waived CeCe Hooks May 2, 2022 Signed Napheesa Collier to a Multi-Year Extension Waived Chloe Bibby and Moon Ursin May 3, 2022 Signed Odyssey Sims to a training-camp contract Waived Layshia Clarendon, Crystal Dangerfield, Yvonne Turner, Rennia Davis, Hannah Sjerven, and Kayla Jones May 5, 2022 Temporarily Suspend Kayla McBride due to Overseas Commitments May 6, 2022 Signed Yvonne Turner and Nina Milić May 10, 2022 Signed Rennia Davis to a Hardship Contract May 12, 2022 Waived Angel McCoughtry and Odyssey Sims Released Rennia Davis, Nikolina Milić, and Yvonne Turner from their Hardship Contracts May 13, 2022 Signed Moriah Jefferson and Evina Westbrook Signed Yvonne Turner, Nikolina Milić, and Hannah Sjerven to Hardship Contracts May 16, 2022 Signed Jessica Shepard to a Multi-Year Contract Extension Activated Kayla McBride from her Temporary Suspension Released Yvonne Turner from her Hardship Contract May 22, 2022 Released Hannah Sjerven from her Hardship Contract May 31, 2022 Signed Elissa Cunane to a Hardship Contract June 1, 2022 Signed Kamiah Smalls to a Hardship Contract June 9, 2022 Released Kamiah Smalls from her Hardship Contract June 21, 2022 Released Elissa Cunane from her Hardship Contract June 23, 2022 Released Nikolina Milić from her Hardship Contract June 24, 2022 Waived Evina Westbrook June 26, 2022 Signed Nikolina Milić to a 7-day contract July 3, 2022 Signed Nikolina Milić to a 2nd 7-day contract July 11, 2022 Signed Nikolina Milić to a 3rd 7-day contract July 19, 2022 Signed Nikolina Milić to a Hardship Contract July 21, 2022 Signed Lindsay Allen to a 7-Day Hardship Contract July 28, 2022 Signed Lindsay Allen to a 2nd 7-Day Hardship Contract August 7, 2022 Signed Lindsay Allen to a 3rd 7-Day Hardship Contract Signed Nikolina Milić to a Hardship Contract August 9, 2022 Released Nikolina Milić and Lindsay Allen from their Hardship Contracts August 10, 2022 Signed Lindsay Allen to a Hardship Contract

Roster

Depth Pos.StarterBench C Sylvia Fowles Natalie Achonwa PF Jessica Shepard Nikolina MilićDamiris Dantas (inactive) SF Napheesa Collier Aerial PowersBridget Carleton SG Kayla McBride Rachel Banham PG Moriah Jefferson Lindsay Allen

Schedule Preseason

| 1 | April 27 | @ Washington | L 66–78 | Sylvia Fowles (16) | Sylvia Fowles (8) | AchonwaTurner (2) | Entertainment and Sports Arena3,220 | 0–1

| 2 | May 1 | Las Vegas | W 89–86 | Yvonne Turner (15) | Rennia Davis (13) | ClarendonTurnerShepard (3) | Target CenterN/A | 1–1

Regular season

| 1 | May 6 | @ Seattle | L 74–97 | Sylvia Fowles (16) | Jessica Shepard (12) | Jessica Shepard (5) | Climate Pledge Arena 12,904 | 0–1 |- | 2 | May 8 | Washington | L 66–78 | Jessica Shepard (16) | Jessica Shepard (12) | Jessica Shepard (4) | Target Center8,134 | 0–2 |- | 3 | May 10 | @ Indiana | L 76–82 | Sylvia Fowles (26) | Sylvia Fowles (14) | Jessica Shepard (9) | Gainbridge Fieldhouse1,078 | 0–3 |- | 4 | May 14 | Chicago | L 78–82 | Nikolina Milić (18) | Sylvia Fowles (11) | JeffersonWestbrook (5) | Target Center6,503 | 0–4 |- | 5 | May 17 | @ Los Angeles | W 87–84 | Kayla McBride (24) | Sylvia Fowles (12) | Moriah Jefferson (6) | Crypto.com Arena4,701 | 1–4 |- | 6 | May 19 | @ Las Vegas | L 87–93 | Aerial Powers (25) | Jessica Shepard (14) | Moriah Jefferson (7) | Michelob Ultra Arena3,640 | 1–5 |- | 7 | May 21 | @ Dallas | L 78–94 | FowlesMcBrideShepard (14) | Sylvia Fowles (9) | BanhamJefferson (4) | College Park Center3,813 | 1–6 |- | 8 | May 24 | New York | W 84–78 | Aerial Powers (18) | Sylvia Fowles (14) | JeffersonShepard (4) | Target Center | 2–6 |- | 9 | May 29 | Los Angeles | L 83–85 | Kayla McBride (19) | Sylvia Fowles (7) | Moriah Jefferson (4) | Target Center7,234 | 2–7

| 10 | June 1 | @ Atlanta | L 76–84 | Kayla McBride (20) | Sylvia Fowles (20) | Rachel Banham (6) | Gateway Center Arena1,268 | 2–8 |- | 11 | June 5 | @ New York | W 84–77 | Aerial Powers (27) | Sylvia Fowles (8) | Rachel Banham (4) | Barclays Center4,119 | 3–8 |- | 12 | June 7 | @ New York | L 69–88 | Kayla McBride (13) | Jessica Shepard (7) | SmallsWestbrook (4) | Barclays Center3,196 | 3–9 |- | 13 | June 10 | Washington | L 59–76 | Aerial Powers (12) | Jessica Shepard (15) | Moriah Jefferson (6) | Target Center6,315 | 3–10 |- | 14 | June 12 | Indiana | L 80–84 | Nikolina Milić (18) | Sylvia Fowles (11) | Aerial Powers (7) | Target Center6,806 | 3–11 |- | 15 | June 14 | Seattle | L 79–81 | Kayla McBride (20) | Nikolina Milić (7) | Aerial Powers (7) | Target Center6,031 | 3–12 |- | 16 | June 19 | @ Las Vegas | L 95–96 | Moriah Jefferson (23) | Jessica Shepard (19) | Moriah Jefferson (7) | Michelob Ultra Arena4,603 | 3–13 |- | 17 | June 21 | @ Phoenix | W 84–71 | Kayla McBride (18) | Jessica Shepard (13) | Moriah Jefferson (9) | Footprint Center6,394 | 4–13 |- | 18 | June 23 | Phoenix | W 100–88 | Moriah Jefferson (21) | Sylvia Fowles (10) | Aerial Powers (6) | Target Center8,004 | 5–13 |- | 19 | June 26 | @ Chicago | L 85–88 | McBrideShepard (15) | Jessica Shepard (8) | Aerial Powers (7) | Wintrust Arena7,022 | 5–14 |- | 20 | June 28 | Dallas | W 92–64 | Aerial Powers (20) | Natalie Achonwa (13) | Moriah Jefferson (10) | Target Center5,603 | 6–14

| 21 | July 1 | Las Vegas | L 85–91 | Rachel Banham (24) | Sylvia Fowles (5) | AchonwaBanham (4) | Target Center6,104 | 6–15 |- | 22 | July 3 | Las Vegas | W 102–71 | Aerial Powers (32) | Sylvia Fowles (11) | Moriah Jefferson (6) | Target Center7,603 | 7–15 |- | 23 | July 6 | Chicago | W 81–78 | Aerial Powers (22) | Aerial Powers (11) | Moriah Jefferson (6) | Target Center11,103 | 8–15 |- | 24 | July 12 | Phoenix | W 118–107 (2OT) | Aerial Powers (35) | Sylvia Fowles (14) | Kayla McBride (5) | Target Center6,503 | 9–15 |- | 25 | July 14 | Dallas | L 87–92 | Rachel Banham (24) | Sylvia Fowles (17) | Sylvia Fowles (3) | Target Center4,834 | 9–16 |- | 26 | July 15 | @ Indiana | W 87–77 | Kayla McBride (28) | Sylvia Fowles (12) | JeffersonShepard (5) | Indiana Farmers Coliseum1,530 | 10–16 |- | 27 | July 17 | @ Washington | L 57–70 | Kayla McBride (16) | FowlesShepard (12) | Jessica Shepard (7) | Entertainment and Sports Arena4,200 | 10–17 |- | 28 | July 22 | Connecticut | L 84–94 | Aerial Powers (14) | Natalie Achonwa (6) | Lindsay Allen (7) | Target Center8,321 | 10–18 |- | 29 | July 24 | Connecticut | L 79–86 | Aerial Powers (17) | Jessica Shepard (8) | Aerial Powers (4) | Target Center7,231 | 10–19 |- | 30 | July 28 | @ Atlanta | W 92–85 | Aerial Powers (25) | Sylvia Fowles (14) | Moriah Jefferson (7) | Gateway Center Arena2,396 | 11–19 |- | 31 | July 31 | @ Los Angeles | W 84–77 | Moriah Jefferson (22) | Jessica Shepard (10) | JeffersonPowers (4) | Crypto.com Arena6,857 | 12–19

| 32 | August 3 | @ Seattle | L 77–89 | Nikolina Milić (13) | FowlesMilić (6) | Natalie Achonwa (6) | Climate Pledge Arena13,500 | 12–20 |- | 33 | August 7 | Atlanta | W 81–71 | Kayla McBride (20) | Sylvia Fowles (8) | JeffersonMcBride (6) | Target Center9,421 | 13–20 |- | 34 | August 10 | @ Phoenix | W 86–77 | Kayla McBride (18) | Jessica Shepard (12) | Moriah Jefferson (12) | Footprint Center7,307 | 14–20 |- | 35 | August 12 | Seattle | L 69–96 | Aerial Powers (18) | Sylvia Fowles (12) | L. AllenMcBride (3) | Target Center12,134 | 14–21 |- | 36 | August 14 | @ Connecticut | L 83–90 | Lindsay Allen (26) | Sylvia Fowles (12) | Lindsay Allen (6) | Mohegan Sun Arena7,489 | 14–22

Standings

Statistics

Regular season