After reaching the WNBA Finals last season, the Minnesota Lynx have had a relatively quiet WNBA free agency period, and offseason overall. That’s not too surprising considering the fact that this team, as currently constructed, as among the top contenders in the league. The Lynx did make one WNBA free agency move this week though, signing former first round draft pick Kiara Leslie to a training camp contract, the team announced.

In addition to Kiara Leslie, the Lynx also claimed former Indiana Fever guard Grace Berger off waivers during the WNBA free agency period. They also signed free agent center Marieme Badiane from France.

With these new additions, the Lynx roster currently stands at 12 players. WNBA teams are permitted to bring up to 18 players to training camp. They then must cut that number down to a roster maximum of 12, minimum of 11, by the time the regular season begins.

Leslie has not played in the WNBA since 2021. Berger was just cut by the Fever after playing in Indiana for the past two seasons. Badiane will be a rookie in the league if she makes the final roster.

Lynx sign Kiara Leslie to contract

Leslie was originally selected by the Washington Mystics with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft, However, a knee injury delayed her debut until the 2020 season.

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With the Mystics having several players sit out the 2020 season while in the bubble, Leslie took advantage of that opportunity with a strong rookie season. She averaged 5.5 p0ints, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 36.2 percent from the three-point line. She appeared in 19 games, including ten starts, at a little over 21 minutes per game.

The Mystics picked up Leslie’s contract option for the 2021 season, but she saw a reduction in playing time and availability. She appeared in only nine games before the Mystics cut her.

Leslie now gets a fresh opportunity with the Lynx after not appearing in the WNBA since the 2021 season. She has also played overseas in Puerto Rico, Russia, Egypt, France and Israel, in addition to playing in Athletes Unlimited.

Leslie will have to compete in Lynx training camp for a regular season roster spot. It’s possible that Leslie will be competing against Berger for a spot on the regular season roster. Both are shooting guards and it’s unlikely that the Lynx keep both.

For a team that has championship aspirations, getting signings on the margins right goes a long way to staying a contender.