WNBA — Minnesota Lynx All-25 Team: Part I

In honor of their 25th anniversary season in 2023, the Minnesota Lynx are recognizing the top 25 players in franchise history during the month of March, which is Women’s History Month.

Each week in March, five players will be highlighted as part of the All-25 Team followed by a social media campaign highlighting their contributions to the Lynx franchise on and off the court.

To be qualified for the Lynx All-25 Team, the honor is strictly statistical and award-based, with the list being comprised of players who have scored more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, started over 50 games, were members of two or more WNBA Championship teams, represented Minnesota in the WNBA All-Star Game or were end-of-season WNBA award winners while playing for the Lynx.

This week, the first full week of March, the Lynx announced the first five players on the All-25 Team. Here’s a look at who made the first wave of players.

Nicky Anosike

The first player on the list is center Nicky Anosike, who played with the Lynx from 2008-10 and spent five years in the WNBA. Anosike broke into the WNBA in 2008 as a second-round draft pick out of Tennessee, jumping into a starting role with Minnesota right out of the gate in her rookie campaign.

In her rookie season in 2008, Anosike averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks while starting in all 34 regular-season games en route to earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team. In 2009, she averaged career-high marks of 13.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.7 steals over 30 games while receiving All-Star honors and a spot on the All-Defensive First Team. In 2010, she started in 31 games and averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, two steals, 1.9 assists and one block per game.

Anosike’s time with the Lynx came to an end in 2011 when she was traded to the Washington Mystics in exchange for a 2012 first-round draft pick (which ended up being Devereaux Peters). Over her three-year Lynx tenure, Anosike averaged 10.5 points, seven rebounds and two assists over 95 games.

Crystal Dangerfield

Next on the first wave of players is point guard Crystal Dangerfield, who played for the Lynx from 2020-21 and is currently still playing in the WNBA with the Dallas Wings. Dangerfield joined Minnesota and the WNBA in 2020 when she was selected out of UConn in the second round of the draft.

Dangerfield made her mark right away as a rookie, averaging 16.2 points, 3.6 assists and two rebounds in 21 games and 19 starts en route to earning Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie Team honors. Dangerfield was the second consecutive Lynx player to win Rookie of the Year, with Napheesa Collier winning it in 2019, making her the fifth Minnesota player to claim that award. In 2021, Dangerfield appeared in 31 games and started in 10 of those, averaging 7.7 points, 2.8 assists and two rebounds…