While the WNBA offseason winds blow deep-rooted players to new homes, the basketball continues for many overseas, including some Minnesota Lynx talent. The EuroLeague women are in the second round of their regular season. This will decide the teams that will compete in the EuroLeague Women Final Six in Zaragoza, Spain, April 9-13.
Minnesota Lynx teammates do battle in EuroLeague
The same day this writer addressed Minnesota’s need to add “muscle” in Emma Meesseman this offseason, one of the MN Lynx’ current centers won an award for her play overseas. Dorka Juhász was named EuroLeague Women January MVP. She led Beretta Famila Schio in Italy on a four-game win streak that qualified them for the semifinal play-ins of the Final Six tournament.
The six-foot-five Juhász posted 13.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She also gave Lynx teammate Bridget Carleton a black eye and her team its only loss. In the win, Juhász scored 12 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.
Carleton shot just five-for-12 from the field with 12 points, one rebound and five assists. She hit two of seven three-point attempts. Remember, Carleton took a big jump in her development last season, earning a big boost to her minutes at the expense of Juhász.
Bridget Carleton a big part of Lynx improvement in 2024
After averaging just 15 minutes per game for the Minnesota Lynx in 2023, Bridget’s playing time skyrocketed to nearly 30 minutes per game. With those additional minutes, her scoring increased from 3.2 to 9.6 points per game, en route to a third-place finish for the WNBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
Dorka Juhász was selected by the Lynx in the second round of the 2023 draft and made the 2023 WNBA All-Rookie Team. She averaged more than 24 minutes per game. In 2024, however, she averaged 16 minutes in the regular season. She played less than six minutes per game in the postseason and was the last player in Cheryl Reeve’s playoff rotation.
Dorka, “The Hungarian Princess,” is a MN Lynx fan favorite despite Carleton being Canadian and shooting 44.4 percent from three-point range in the regular season. That percentage dropped to 34 in the postseason. However, Carleton defended without fouling and turned the ball over less than Juhász. Dorka has averaged just one turnover per game thus far, though.
Related: WNBA Insider Says Minnesota Lynx a Logical Fit for Former Finals MVP
This could be the first battle of a foreign war for WNBA minutes this season. It’s good to see the taller, younger Minnesota Lynx player improving her game. The Lynx are in desperate need of a reliable big who can rebound and score paint points. Maybe Dorka can be the difference in a Game 5 rock fight.
