The Minnesota Lynx’s move during the 2026 FIBA World Cup break surprised many. The league’s best-record team in the 2026 WNBA season suddenly decided to add Aari McDonald to the roster. The move aimed to make the Lynx a better team. But according to head coach Cheryl Reeve, McDonald was not even on the team’s radar when they started looking for players to add.

“To be honest, Aari wasn’t on the list, not because she wasn’t capable, just that, I think most of us thought she was still injured, and she is, from the standpoint of she’s not at the end of her recovery just yet,” Reeve told reporters during the team’s practice on Monday.

McDonald had been signed by the Indiana Fever amid an injury-plagued season. She was having a great season, averaging 9.8 points and 4.7 assists per game. Unfortunately, her season was cut short after she suffered a broken bone in her right foot in August. She was ruled out for the season.

Eventually, she made a comeback in the Unrivaled in January earlier this year. She played just one game before being sidelined again with a right lower-extremity injury. Fortunately, she has recovered and can use this time to make a case for her position as part of the regular rotation on a WNBA team.

The Lynx were already the best team even before McDonald’s addition, and the move was completely unexpected. They waived Eliska Joklova to sign the veteran player. Now her signing gives the elite roster an additional ball handler in reserve.

“We felt like she was about as good as a prospect we could have to improve our situation,” Reeve said about McDonald. “We needed a player that we felt like we could put in the game in the playoffs. And experience. As much as we enjoyed Elis, she just simply doesn’t have the experience. It was an opportunity that we felt like it was worth taking a swing at.”

McDonald’s signing may seem minor given the Lynx’s dominance, but it provides crucial depth. Her experience shields Reeve and her team from any bad news.

The Lynx were favorites to win the title in 2024, but the Liberty broke their heart in Game 5. They were again at the top and expected to win, but Napheesa Collier’s injury during the second round flipped their season. This season, Reeve and her team are once again the clear-cut favorites. They cannot afford to lose this time to any unforeseen circumstances.

McDonald has five years of experience in the league, and she has also played two playoff games. The postseason won’t throw her into uncharted territory. Moreover, she has the caliber to contribute points off the bench and act as a solid playmaker for the second unit.

There is a very low probability that she will play regular minutes. Olivia Miles and Courtney Williams would be Reeve’s obvious choices. However, McDonald still has time to win the trust of her coach before the playoffs start.

The timing of Aari McDonald’s signing could prove to be a blessing for her. While the league was on break, most of the Lynx team was still at the practice facility with their coaching staff. McDonald got enough time to work with her teammates and with her coaches. The break should have helped her build chemistry and prove to her coaches that she deserved minutes on the floor, something she unquestionably does.

The Minnesota Lynx lead the league with a 31-9 record. They are just two games ahead of the Golden State Valkyries. In the remaining four games, they will face the Indiana Fever twice, and the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun once each. There is no telling whether Reeve will deploy her newest signee, but the Sun game could open the door for her.