The Minnesota Lynx franchise is level with the Houston Comets and Seattle Storm, with four titles each for the most successful sides in the league. In the 2024 WNBA postseason, the Lynx had a chance to become the first team with five championships, but the side lost in the finals against the New York Liberty. In 2025, they are looking to go a step up for the title in the competitive league. There were multiple changes in the front office and on the court to get the job done. But now the franchise is hit by the news of their forward Dorka Juhasz sitting out the entire season.

The former UConn Huskies star was the 16th pick of the 2023 WNBA draft by the Lynx and played a vital role during her seasons at the franchise. The rookie was one of the team’s most dependable big stars with 27 starts in 38 matches played. While her role was reduced in the 2024 run, as she clocked only 16.1 minutes per game with 4.8 points and started just 7 games, her presence and impact as a versatile big were undeniable.

As Coach Cheryl Reeve herself said after the loss to Liberty last year, “Bench was really important. We knew they were going to be. They were ready. They were ready. There was a lot of conversations, the teammates, getting them going and getting them ready to be able to make contributions when they got in the game. Give Dorka credit as she remained patient, and when she got the opportunity, I thought her minutes were good“. However, this season, she won’t be able to rely on Dorka like that.

Dorka Juhasz has decided to sit out for the entire season as she “plans to rest and recover after playing year-round for the last two years,” according to the announcement made by the Minnesota franchise. Interestingly, she shared in a Hungarian Interview last summer that she would definitely miss one WNBA season because she feared for her health. And honestly, speculations had begun once fans noticed that Dorka didn’t join the team practice following her overseas commitments.

Dorka Juhász is currently competing in the Italian league finals with PF Schio, marking the end of her second season in Europe. Having already won the league title in 2024 with Famila Schio, the Hungarian forward continues to make her mark overseas. Since the WNBA season takes place during the summer, many players, like Juhász, spend their winters playing in international leagues. Her journey since UConn would make anyone realise that she has been playing non-stop since 2022, balancing college basketball, her rookie WNBA season, and European commitments. So, of course, she needed rest and recovery after such back-to-back tough years. Notably, because she doesn’t fall under the WNBA’s new prioritization rule, her decision won’t affect her league standing.

As for the Lynx, the team has played two preseason games against the Chicago Sky. The side lost the opening match-up while recording a stunning win in the second game at home. In the win, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve liked the fact that her team was trailing Chicago by two points and the game had just four minutes for the final whistle. Playing without Alanna Smith (quad) and Kayla McBride (personal), the team was stretched to the limits. “They needed to get that way about them, being hard to play against,” Reeve said. “That had to happen.” Star player Napheesa Collier led this much-needed win.

But right now, the franchise has a decision to make. With 14 players on their roster after Dorka’s announcement, the front office will have to cut down at least two athletes to meet the WNBA’s 12-player roster requirement. In some cases, teams go with an 11-player roster also.

Dorka Juhasz’s injury history

Although Dorka Juhasz is not out injured, she has a long history of injuries, even ruling her out for a season. During her fourth year of college, she sustained a broken wrist. This injury sidelined her for the season and extended her college career to the fifth season. In 2022, the Huskies star broke a thumb on the same hand as her wrist injury and missed three games in the process.

Even before the college career began, Dorka sustained an ACL injury. Yet the star’s work had on her recovery and continued to develop. Luckily, apart from her NCAA injuries, Dorka didn’t have a serious knock in her pro WBB career. She played constantly for two seasons in the WNBA and also in Europe. And now she is looking to enter the court refreshed, letting her body recover from all the wear and tear from the games played. So, her decision to rest in 2025 is due to the physical toll of year-round play, including WNBA, EuroLeague, and international duties, not a current injury.