Because the Minnesota Lynx push towards one other playoff run in 2025, Bridget Carleton’s emergence as a key starter is now not a shock. It’s anticipated.
The 27-year-old ahead has carved out a significant position in coach Cheryl Reeve’s rotation — one which started in August 2019, when Carleton signed a seven-day contract with the Lynx after being waived by the Connecticut Solar, who had drafted her twenty first total earlier that yr. She made her Lynx debut days later, lower than 24 hours after arriving in Minnesota. What began as a brief roster repair rapidly became one thing extra as she was signed for the rest of the season and has since develop into an integral a part of the workforce.
“I carry much more than what the field rating says,” Carleton mentioned after a latest follow forward of Minnesota’s house opener in opposition to the Dallas Wings. “I don’t must shoot 20 instances or get 10 rebounds. I simply concentrate on making the proper determination each possession and enjoying as exhausting as I can.”
Carleton’s contributions typically come within the margins. Whether or not it’s switching onto a faster guard, rotating early to chop off a drive, boxing out a much bigger ahead, or spacing the ground with well timed 3-point capturing, the seventh-year professional has develop into a fixture in Minnesota’s system. Reeve routinely calls her “our voice of purpose,” a participant who brings stability, construction and energy.
Carleton’s journey with the Lynx started modestly. Drafted in 2019, she joined Minnesota after a quick stint in Connecticut and has progressively grown her position every season. Nevertheless it was in 2024 that she made the leap.
After averaging simply 3.2 factors, 2.3 rebounds and quarter-hour per recreation the yr prior, Carleton doubled her enjoying time and completed the common season averaging 9.6 factors, 3.8 rebounds and a couple of.2 assists in 29.9 minutes per recreation. She began 37 of the workforce’s 40 video games and shot a career-best 44.4 p.c from 3-point vary, making 91 triples — second on the workforce solely to veteran guard Kayla McBride.
Her breakout yr led to Most Improved Participant consideration, with Carleton ending third within the league’s voting. She was named Minnesota’s workforce MIP in September.
“She’s a type of gamers you belief,” Reeve mentioned. “She is aware of the place to be, she talks on protection, and she or he makes the proper play.”
A Regular Drive in Huge Moments
Carleton’s postseason efficiency underscored her evolution. She began each recreation throughout Minnesota’s Finals run, averaging 9.3 factors and three.8 rebounds in 33.8 minutes per contest whereas capturing 43.5 p.c from the sector and 94.7 p.c from the road.
In Sport 4 of the WNBA Finals in opposition to the New York Liberty, with the Lynx trailing by one and dealing with elimination, Carleton got here up with a game-saving offensive rebound and calmly sank two free throws with two seconds remaining. The second compelled a decisive Sport 5 and cemented her place as a participant able to delivering beneath stress.
That sense of composure has been constructed over time. A star scorer in school at Iowa State, Carleton admits protection was not a spotlight in her earlier years.
“I believe there’s so some ways to manage what you may on the courtroom and have an effect on profitable, and I take satisfaction in that each single possession,” Carleton mentioned. “I’m tremendous locked in on simply making the proper determination, enjoying as exhausting as I can. I don’t must shoot 20 instances a recreation. I don’t must get 10 rebounds. I don’t have to be initiating the offense, however I do know there’s different methods I can affect video games. After which when it’s my time to get my threes off, I’m going to have the ability to knock it down.”
Carleton credit the Canadian nationwide workforce and early suggestions from Lynx coaches for pushing her to develop into a extra full participant.
“No, by no means. And when you watched me, you may see that,” she mentioned. “That positively developed as I grew to become a professional, understanding I needed to affect the sport on each ends. I believe my nationwide workforce helped with that too, after which it’s one thing I actually targeted on in my first couple years as a professional.”
She credit her progress on that finish to early suggestions from the Lynx teaching workers.
“One in all my exit conferences early on in my profession, most likely after my rookie yr once I was right here for a pair weeks, was like, I would like to have the ability to guard the twos within the league. I would like to have the ability to guard level guards. I would like to have the ability to guard fours. So I can’t simply guard one place,” she mentioned. “Being cell, being fast, altering my physique, getting stronger, being extra agile — that each one got here fairly early on in my professional profession.”
Now, her defensive duties are central to the Lynx’s scheme. With Cecilia Zandalasini now not on the roster and McBride away from the workforce for private causes, Carleton has assumed larger perimeter assignments. Her capacity to protect a number of positions — together with main scorers — has develop into indispensable.
“She’s about as versatile as you get,” Reeve mentioned. “You may put her on a degree guard or a publish and she or he’ll know precisely what to do.”
Carleton’s capacity to excel throughout the circulate of the sport has made her a pure complement to Lynx star ahead Napheesa Collier. Whereas Collier constantly attracts defensive consideration and creates benefits as a scorer, Carleton performs the connective position — spacing the ground, making well timed cuts, and rotating seamlessly on protection.
“She’s tremendous good, she is aware of the performs, she is aware of the place to be,” Collier mentioned of Carleton in 2023. “She’s only a actually strong participant and I belief her quite a bit.”
The chemistry between the 2 forwards permits Minnesota to toggle between defensive seems and offensive units with out sacrificing spacing or consciousness. With Collier working as the focus within the publish or mid-range, Carleton’s presence on the perimeter forces defenders to remain trustworthy — particularly given her 44.4 p.c capturing from three final season. On the opposite finish, Carleton’s communication and assist protection typically covers for breakdowns, releasing Collier to take calculated dangers as a roamer or rebounder.
Management and Longevity
Carleton’s rise has additionally introduced management duties. She’s develop into extra vocal throughout video games and practices, particularly because the Lynx combine youthful gamers and handle ongoing adjustments within the rotation.
“There’s most likely been instances you informed me again in 2019 I’d play 40 minutes in a recreation and I might’ve mentioned no manner,” she mentioned. “In the event you would have informed me my rookie yr there would’ve been no manner. However the different evening, I seemed on the field rating and was like, ‘Oh, I did play 40 minutes.’ I felt good on the market and Cheryl stored asking me if I wanted a break, however I used to be wonderful.”
Carleton logged 35 minutes within the Lynx’s 89–75 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Might 19, ending with eight factors, seven rebounds and 4 assists. The efficiency served as a continuation of her breakout 2024 season and the belief she’s earned from coaches and teammates alike.
“She’s enjoyable to be on the market with,” mentioned Lynx ahead Jessica Shepard. “Her size makes the defensive aspect simpler, and she or he’s a brilliant good participant on the offensive aspect of issues. You already know she’s going to make the proper play.”
Regardless of the elevated highlight, Carleton mentioned her mindset hasn’t modified.
“My purpose is simply to do the issues I do properly — and do them to the very best of my capacity,” she mentioned. “Whether or not I’m beginning or coming off the bench, I wish to carry the identical power. Hopefully coming off the bench is a bit more stress simply from the standpoint that it’s a must to choose up the starters or hold that going, however I strategy it the identical.”
Carleton signed a two-year deal forward of the 2024 season, guaranteeing her place with the franchise by means of 2025. She tasks as an excellent candidate to symbolize Crew Canada on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, including one other potential milestone to her worldwide résumé.
Because the WNBA expands to 13 groups this yr with the debut of the Golden State Valkyries and larger league-wide visibility, the Lynx are as soon as once more eyeing a deep playoff run. Carleton’s presence — regular, environment friendly, and unassuming — will proceed to be important to that pursuit.
“She’s the form of participant each good workforce wants,” Reeve mentioned. “Dependable, unselfish, and totally dedicated to the workforce.”
Carleton might not dominate headlines, however contained in the locker room and throughout the teaching workers, her worth is obvious. In a league the place affect typically goes past factors and rebounds, she has develop into one of many Lynx’s most trusted veterans.
