What happened: The Minnesota Lynx have opened the 2026 season 14-3 even after parting with several key contributors from a year ago. A Winsidr breakdown credits head coach Cheryl Reeve with steadying a heavily reshuffled rotation through the turnover.

Why it matters: Minnesota sits atop the Western Conference, scoring 90.3 points per game while allowing just 77.8, a gap that has carried a recent eight-game win streak. Sustaining that pace would frame the Lynx as a title contender even with the New York Liberty already in command of the East.

What to watch: The question is whether Minnesota can hold a league-best defense as the schedule stiffens. The next road test will measure how durable this turnaround really is.