Lynx Add Aari McDonald Before Playoffs — and Minnesota Just Got Even Deeper

The Minnesota Lynx aren’t standing still with the WNBA playoffs approaching. Minnesota officially signed veteran guard Aari McDonald on Monday, adding the former No. 3 overall draft pick to a team that already owns the league’s best record at 31-9. The Lynx waived guard Eliska Joklova to make room for McDonald on the roster. Contract terms were not announced.

McDonald last played in the WNBA with Indiana during the 2025 season, averaging 9.7 points and 4.7 assists before a right-foot injury ended her year in August. Across 136 career games with Atlanta, Los Angeles and Indiana, she has averaged 8.8 points and 3.1 assists. Minnesota isn’t asking McDonald to become a star. The value is adding another experienced ball-handler, point-of-attack defender and change-of-pace guard to an already deep roster.

That timing makes the move interesting. Minnesota already looks like a championship contender and has only a handful of regular-season games remaining after the World Cup break. Adding a former top-three pick now gives coach Cheryl Reeve another option for playoff matchups without disrupting the core that put Minnesota atop the standings. Sometimes a late-season signing isn’t about finding a starter. It’s about making sure an opponent can’t expose your bench when the postseason gets tight.