The last time we saw Dorka Juhász step on a WNBA court was on Oct. 4, 2024 in Game 3 of a best-of-three semifinals matchup against the Connecticut Sun that ultimately ended the Minnesota Lynx’s season.
Since then, she has not suited up for the Lynx while remaining overseas and focusing on rest, but has been putting in work across the globe — and that time away has paid off.
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Juhász, who took off the 2024 WNBA season, is expected to return in 2026 and will have a big opportunity ahead of her in Minnesota with the absence of numerous key players leaving this offseason in free agency.
But as Lynx training camp began Sunday in Minneapolis, Juhász wasn’t present — yet. That’s because she has been finishing up what has been a historic season in Turkey.
MVP Season
Juhász has spent her offseason playing for Galatasaray in Turkey, taking on a new team and a new country rather than playing in Italy like we’ve seen in the past. Along with playing in Turkey-KBSL and EuroLeague action with Galatasaray, she also suited up for her home country of Hungary in five games as part of the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul.
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With Galatasaray, Juhász didn’t just have a good season — she had an MVP season. Last weekend, Juhász took home EuroLeague MVP honors, becoming the youngest player to ever be named the league’s MVP at the age of 26. The winners of the EuroLeague awards are determined by a combination of votes from EuroLeague coaches, players, selected media and fans.
FIBA Basketball noted, along with an MVP season on the floor, Juhász showcased the ability to lead Galatasaray this season and be the centerpiece of the club’s return to elite competition.
“I am shocked and I am super grateful (to win MVP),” Juhász told FIBA Basketball. “It’s something you don’t expect; you just come to play every single day. I was happy to just be in the conversation with two other amazing players. … (my team) put me in a position to step up as a leader. Since everyone was fairly new when this team was formed, there was space for me to take on that leadership role.”
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“I’m happy I could take that step, because they believed in me and put me in positions to be successful,” Juhász continued. “This is the icing on the cake.”
Over the course of the season, Juhász put up strong numbers in EuroLeague play. In 18 games, Juhász posted 12.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks over 24.6 minutes, adding shooting marks of 56.7% from inside of the arc and 36.6% from three. In Turkey-KBSL action, Juhász also averaged 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.5 blocks over 23.6 minutes in 19 games.
“Playing in EuroLeague Women was always one of my goals,” Juhász told FIBA Basketball. When I was 16 and playing in EuroCup Women, that was what I wanted to accomplish. If I could ask my younger self back then what I wanted to achieve, being here would be one of my wildest dreams. … This year has been truly remarkable.”
Because of her efforts, Juhász was crowned EuroLeague MVP, beating out some strong competition such as fellow MVP finalists Emma Meesseman (Fenerbahce) and Iliana Rupert (Fenerbahce). As a result, Juhász was also named All-EuroLeague Women First Team alongside Meesseman, Rupert, Julie Allemand (Fenerbahce) and Leila Lacan (Basket Landes).
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Unfortunately, Juhász wasn’t able to complete the historic season with Galatasaray, sitting out the EuroLeague Final against Fenerbahce due to a right ankle injury that she had a boot on at the time of the MVP presentation.
Returning to Minnesota
Now with the EuroLeague postseason over, where Galatasaray finished second after falling to Fenerbahce in the Final on Sunday, focus shifts to getting Juhász fully healthy and back to Minnesota where she is expected to return this summer after taking a year off.
Juhász will have a nice opportunity ahead of her, with the soon-to-be third-year forward and former second-round draft pick getting the chance to see more playing time following the departures of Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard in free agency.
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“I think she’s excited about the opportunity that she has,” Cheryl Reeve said after the WNBA Draft on April 13. “Now, there’s opportunity for Dorka that I think we’re all excited about.”
Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
| NBAE via Getty Images
Over the first two years of her career with the Lynx, Juhász averaged 5.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks over 20.4 minutes in 72 career games. In her rookie season in 2023, Juhász started in 27 of her 38 appearances, but was primarily in a bench role most of her sophomore season ni 2024.
After taking the 2025 campaign off, Minnesota is hoping Juhász will replicate what was seen from Shepard in 2025 after she too took the prior season off to remain overseas.
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And if what Juhász has been able to do overseas leading up to the 2026 WNBA season — both as a leader and with her talent on the court — she should be able to hit the ground running and carve out a key role with the Lynx this summer.
