Get to know the 2023 Minnesota Lynx

The Lynx waived veteran Damiris Dantas and rookie Taylor Soule on Thursday, getting their roster to the WNBA maximum 12 players. Here is the team for Friday's opener against Chicago:

Natalie Achonwa, 6-3 forward

The Canadian national team standout gave birth to a son, Maverick, in April and is on maternity leave to start the season. Achonwa will be in her ninth season. She was the ninth overall pick in 2014 out of Notre Dame and averaged 5.3 points for the Lynx last season.

Lindsay Allen, 5-8 guard

Another former Notre Dame player, Allen joined the Lynx on a short-term contract last season and is the likely starter at point. She's a six-year veteran who has also played for New York, Las Vegas and Indiana.

Rachel Banham, 5-10 guard

The former Gophers standout is in her eighth WNBA season, and fourth in Minnesota after four seasons in Connecticut, which drafted her fourth overall in 2016. She averaged a career-high 7.9 points per game last season.

The Canadian Olympian entered the WNBA in 2019 out of Iowa State as a second-round choice by Connecticut. The Sun released her after four games, and she's been with the Lynx since. She started two of 36 games last season.

Napheesa Collier, 6-1 forward

Collier won an NCAA title at UConn, has been a gold medal-winning Olympian, WNBA Rookie of the Year and league All-Star. She played in only four games at the end of last season after having a baby in May. Averaged 16.2 points per game in 2021.

Dorka Juhász, 6-5 center

A rookie out of UConn, Juhász is a Hungarian who also played for Ohio State, where she was a two-time All-Big Ten first-team pick. She was a second-round (16th overall) pick in the draft.

The third overall pick in 2014 by San Antonio, McBride enters her 10th WNBA season with a career average of 14.4 points per game. In college, she led Notre Dame to four consecutive Final Fours, although they lost three times in the title game.

Nikolina Milić, 6-3 forward

Originally signed to a hardship contract last season, Milić ended up playing in 31 games and averaged six points and three rebounds. A native of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 29-year-old played in Spain and France before coming to America.

Diamond Miller, 6-3 forward

The second overall pick in this year's draft out of Maryland, Miller was All-America and a three-time All-Big Ten player who has been on age group U.S. national teams in international competition.

In her eighth season out of South Carolina, Mitchell was the ninth overall selection in the 2016 draft by Indiana and played the past seven seasons for the Fever, averaging 9.6 points in 206 games.

Aerial Powers, 5-11 guard

Powers is a WNBA champion (with Washington in 2019) who was the fifth overall pick in 2016 out of Michigan State by Dallas. This is her third season in Minnesota; she started 31 of 35 games last season, averaging 14.4 points and 2.9 assists.

Jessica Shepard, 6-4 center

Shepard played at Nebraska and Notre Dame and was a second-round pick in 2019. She had her best season in 2022, averaging 8.1 points and 7.4 rebounds as a backup for the now-retired Sylvia Fowles.