Minnesota Lynx provide a vision of what a WNBA team would look like in KC
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Minnesota Lynx defeated Nigeria team 88-79 in a 2026 preseason game at T-Mobile Center.
- Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride did not play. Collier is recovering from ankle surgery.
- WNBA’s 2026 CBA raised minimum salaries to six figures and maxes above $5 million.
Things were a lot different two decades ago when Kansas City last hosted a WNBA preseason game in 2005.
The Detroit Shock, fresh off a WNBA championship, were still in the league when they faced the Minnesota Lynx in May of that year. The game had local connections from the Lynx with Kansas State alum Nicole Ohlde and Mizzou alum Amanda Lassiter. The Shock were led by renowned head coach Bill Laimbeer and Hall of Fame guard Swin Cash.
The WNBA’s 2026 return had less star power on the court between the Lynx and the Nigeria women’s basketball team but enamored fans inside T-Mobile Center with efficient play and robust skill.
Minnesota took the win 88-79 in its second preseason game of the season. The crowd was scattered and some left early on the Monday evening, but fans still created plenty of noise when the Lynx swished home 3-pointers and made strong defensive plays.
Star Lynx forward and Jefferson City native Napheesa Collier didn’t get to shine for her home state; she’s out until the summer recovering from ankle surgery. Star guard Kayla McBride also sat out the preseason game. They were the only players on the 17-player preseason roster who didn’t see any minutes in KC.
The four-time WNBA champions are replacing some key pieces to their roster just two years after reaching the WNBA Finals; they lost in the semifinals last season under longtime head coach Cheryl Reeve.
But the crowd still cheered the most for two of the Lynx’s star guards who did play: veteran (and social media savant) Courtney Williams and second overall pick and Notre Dame/TCU product Olivia Miles. Miles received plenty of cheers throughout the contest even when she was on the bench.
Williams is one half of the StudBudz, a duo she formed with former Minnesota teammate Natisha Hiedeman where they transformed their on-court chemistry into a widely-known social media phenomenon with more than 100,000 subscribers across platforms.
Minnesota’s roster is full of players hoping to leave their mark and make the final roster before the season. The Nigerian team, representing the best of African basketball, is a squad of players ranging from overseas veterans to players still competing at the collegiate level.
Reeve is glad the team came to Kansas City. In addition to giving the Lynx an extra exhibition game, it helps spread the league to fans in areas without teams, she said.
“I’m giddy about it, all right, because I like being here, and I hope that this is a sports town that gets professional sports if they want it,” Reeve said after the game. Kansas City was passed over for WNBA expansion last year. “Hopefully they support it the way they’ve supported the Current.”
“It was cool to hear the cheers and stuff,” Miles added. She returned to KC more than a month after her some of her last college games in the Big 12 tournament.
“It was a good environment. A lot of them were cheering for us, which was awesome to hear, especially on a neutral site. So it was cool to see the love in this city, and the Lynx fan base was cool to interact with.”
Star-studded attendance and action
The WNBA is only a few weeks into its new era. The latest CBA greatly heightened minimum salaries to six figures and sent maximum salaries to more than $5 million for the first time in the league’s 30-year history.
With higher salaries brings higher attention, and the game brought all the fanfare that comes with one-stop sporting events in Kansas City.
Kansas City Current players spent time with the Lynx players in their quick two-day visit, taking a break from kicking soccer balls to swap jerseys and shoot hoops. Reeve made sure to acknowledge the Current for their trailblazing facilities.
“We build facilities for every possible men’s sport, including, you know, the Esports, the gaming,” she said. “We built facilities for that, despite losing money over and over and over again. ... So it is incredibly meaningful that I believe this is the only one, not just in the country, that’s ever been done.”
Multiple U.S. women’s soccer players were in attendance like the Portland Thorns’ Olivia Moultrie, Racing Louisville’s Emma Sears and former Current midfielder Claire Hutton, who now plays for Bay FC.
Chiefs players Chu Godrick, a Lagos, Nigeria native, Wanya Morris and Felix Anudike-Uzomah sat courtside.
Monday was a Lynx home game: Fans wore and bought team merch, and took pictures with the mascot. The in-game festivities encouraged the crowd to cheer for Minnesota as fans danced to the continuous background music. Minnesota is the closest W team to Kansas City despite playing more than 400 miles north in Minneapolis.
Nigeria team fans were sparse throughout the estimated thousands in attendance, some wearing the country’s traditional fashion.
On the floor, the Lynx and D’Tigress were close throughout the game with the Lynx pulling away in the second half. Williams, who sat most of the second half, led the way with 17 points. Miles added 11 points, five rebounds and five assists with no turnovers in her 19 minutes.
Veteran guard Ezinne Kalu, who played in China last season, led Nigeria with 25 points and four rebounds.
The Nigerian team was feisty defensively, putting pressure on Minnesota’s offense. But the Lynx spaced the floor and frequently worked the ball around. They ended the night shooting 50% from the floor and 32% from 3.
Both squads benefited from the charity stripe. The Lynx made 22 of 29 free throws; Nigeria made 27 of 37.
Minnesota has one more preseason game against inaugural expansion team Toronto Tempo on Friday.
The Lynx haven’t won the WNBA Finals since 2017, the end of their decade-long dynasty where they won four rings under Reeve’s guidance with Maya Moore starring. If they can reach that mountaintop again this year, they’ll owe Kansas City a nod as a stepping stone toward breaking their championship drought.
“This is Minnesota basketball. They are very clear about where they’re trying to go,” veteran forward Nia Coffey said. She finished with 10 points and three rebounds.
“I don’t expect anything less from what I’ve seen from them in the past, and I know Cheryl’s going to get every ounce of talent out of each one of us. So it’s going to be the same from what they’ve always had.”
