The Minnesota Lynx, coming off a WNBA Finals run, have one of the most experienced rosters in the league.
Without a top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, it was already unlikely that they would find someone who could contribute to their immediate contention. They clearly agreed, and traded their own first-round pick—albeit the second to last pick in the round—for sole control of the Chicago Sky’s first round pick in next season’s draft (Minnesota already had swap rights with Chicago due to a previous transaction), which will likely be higher than No. 11.
What Minnesota did find, however, is an opportunity to take a shot on a player who could contribute in a future season, along with two experienced college players who could find their way onto the back end of the roster.
Anastasiia Olairi Kosu
The Lynx’s first selection of their night, at No. 15 overall, was Anastasiia Olairi Kosu, a 6-foot-1 Russian forward who just turned 20 years old.
Kosu has a boatload of international success, including a FIBA U16 MVP award when she was only 14, but it’s very possible that she stays in Europe for at least next season. Because international players can be drafted two years before NCAA prospects, “draft-and-stash” picks are a smart way to build on future rosters, rather…
