For the Minnesota Lynx, losing Natisha Hiedeman in the free agency was immensely tough, but for Courtney Williams, it was much more than personal. The StudBudz duo that managed to stitch the backcourt together won’t be there next season, as Hiedeman will take the reins in Seattle. Now, the other half of the duo, Williams, has shared her two cents about her emotions after the band got separated.
Speaking at the introductory Minnesota Lynx press conference, Williams shed light on her loss, remarking that it’s a tough decision from her perspective. “I ain’t gonna lie, I was so sick, but I feel like as I was trying to tell her like “you deserve this, go be great” I’m like talking to myself to like, she’s gonna be alright,” Williams said. “It’s like seeing your baby fly away, I’m serious, man, it was a hard pill for me to swallow. But it was like, go be great, it’s your time. You’ll gonna run your own team and you’d going to be a starter again, and go get that bag. So, I’m excited for her.”
Hiedeman’s departure feels like an emotional loss to Williams, given the amicable, friend-like bond they share on and off the court. It’s quite evident from her overwhelmed tone in the media room. After all, their partnership isn’t just limited to their two seasons at the Minnesota Lynx. It traces back to their Connecticut days when they shared the court together in 2019.
But they retained their prominence largely over the last couple of seasons, when the term ‘StudBudz’ became synonymous with them. The term was coined primarily because of their Twitch channel of the same name, which they introduced last season, but it quickly transcended to their on-court endeavors as well.
The duo also contributed immensely to the Minnesota Lynx’s backcourt during their time together. While Williams firmly solidified her place in the team as the starting point guard, Hiedeman seamlessly fit into the backcourt role off the bench. The journey was short, but as Williams said, the Seattle Storm offer is the best and necessary step for Hiedeman’s career, not just from a rumored salary of more than $1M perspective.
As Williams said, Hiedeman is perfectly in line to be the starting guard in the Seattle Storm, a stability that she wouldn’t have gotten in the presence of Williams. In her two years with the Lynx, Hiedeman logged just 15.2 and 18.9 minutes per game in the season, respectively. But with several of Seattle’s players, like Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, leaving the team, Hiedeman can fit as a starter, courtesy of her experience, despite having top first-round picks like Flau’jae Johnson.
Similar to Williams, Lynx shooting guard Kayla McBride put this sentiment in her perspective perfectly in the press conference, while addressing players like Hiedeman leaving the franchise. “It’s bittersweet. I think it’s a testament to how great we were as a group, all of us getting million-dollar contracts … and we want to see them thrive and succeed and be happy.”
It’s quite understandable, given the statements of both players, that they are happy for their former teammate, Natisha Hiedeman. But it will also be interesting to see whether the absence of StudBudz hampers the franchise’s overall tempo.
How Does Courtney Williams and the Minnesota Lynx Manage Their Backcourt Without Natisha Hiedeman?
The Minnesota Lynx’s roster dynamics are quite interesting at this point in the preseason. For starters, the team wasn’t in a state of deep trouble even after Natisha Hiedeman left. It’s because Hiedeman was never the franchise’s primary starter, as Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride do much of the heavy lifting in that role.
Both players are returning for the upcoming season and have signed two-year contracts with Williams, earning $1.2M per season. But the issue lies in the luxury of bench strength and depth that Hiedeman provided the team. Not just that, the team has also lost a second formidable guard in the free agency- DiJonai Carrington to the Chicago Sky.
All in all, the depth factor in the backcourt was in shambles for the Lynx. But the team has addressed it quite well this offseason, selecting a formidable rookie guard like Olivia Miles in the WNBA Draft via their No.2 pick. This gives them a viable replacement for Hiedeman. Although Miles lacks experience, she has proved her mettle again and again in the college basketball circuit, averaging over 19 points in her senior season with TCU.
Additionally, the Lynx have also signed two players on training camp contracts. Amaya Battle and Saylor Poffenbarger will be with the team at camp and in the preseason games, giving the Lynx the leverage to solidify their position if their performance warrants it. With their top-notch draft pick and training camp players, it’s true that the Lynx have plenty of options, and in turn, they can help Williams and McBride with the backcourt in the season.
But all in all, it will eventually come down to Williams herself to anchor the backcourt with McBride while Napheesa Collier leads the way in the frontcourt. Williams’ experience will be even more crucial after the season tip-off, especially with Collier reportedly set to miss a few games due to her recovery from ankle surgeries.
With the season set to tip off in a few weeks, what are your expectations for Williams and the Minnesota Lynx in the coming season? Do let us know in the comments.
