Neal: Jessica Shepard at long last ready to make her Lynx postseason debut

Jessica Shepard should have been with the Lynx last season, helping them try to push past the New York Liberty for another WNBA championship.

But she had to watch the Lynx from afar. At least during the postseason.

“I was actually kind of taking a break from it all,” she said Saturday. “I did watch the Finals, course. But for me, I was kind of taking a mental break.”

Perhaps the outcome of the best-of-five series against New York could have been different if she had participated. Shepard would have come off the bench and given the Liberty problems with her versatility.

But Shepard was forced to sit out the season because of the WNBA’s prioritization rules. The completion of some overseas leagues overlapped with the opening of WNBA training camp, and those players who decided to stick with those teams were made ineligible for the WNBA season, per the collective bargaining agreement.

This delayed the Lynx from seeing how much Shepard’s game had grown and how she would have been a perfect fit. That fit was evident again during Thursday’s regular-season finale when, in 22 minutes, Shepard pulled down 14 rebounds to go with 11 points in a blowout of the Golden State Valkyries. Bridget Carleton and Alanna Smith combined for three points and three rebounds in the game. Someone needed to step up.

“Our starters didn’t rebound,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “Our front line didn’t rebound. Jess is going to come in and get four times as many as two of our starters that are post players.”

The Lynx could have used this last season, when they needed rebounding help and were getting flak for trading down in the 2024 draft and missing out on Angel Reese.

Now they again have Shepard, who provides rebounding without the controversy. It just took a year.

But this isn’t a rant about stuffy WNBA rules. This is about Shepard’s interesting postseason history. Or lack of it. Sitting out last season simply delayed her long-awaited debut.

When Reeve sends her to the scorer’s table on Sunday during the playoff opener against Golden State, it will be Shepard’s first playoff appearance.

Shepard, who turned 29 on Thursday, was a second-round pick of the Lynx in 2019, the same year they selected Napheesa Collier and the same year future Lynx players Smith, Carleton and Hiedeman were selected by other teams.

Shepard had played in Italy for three seasons but switched to Athinaikos Qualco of the Greek A1 League last year; that league’s season ended before WNBA training camp began. All she did in Greece was average 26.4 points and 14.5 rebounds per game while winning Player of the Year honors.

She hasn’t been required to carry the scoring load with the Lynx. She’s the adjustable wrench that keeps the machine running smoothly. But she can get buckets. On Aug. 22, she had 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Indiana for only the second Lynx triple-double ever. It occurred during the first 22 minutes of action and was the fastest triple-double in WNBA history. She also is the third WNBA player ever to record a triple-double with no turnovers.

The Lynx are a tough matchup because of their versatility, and Shepard fits right in.

“You don’t know when you miss a season, what it’s gonna look like when you get back,” Reeve said. “And for Jess, forget about the WNBA, but for Jess, she came back a really mature player, really, really confident in her skin.”

Shepard is a monster on the boards, can create for teammates, doesn’t try to do too much offensively and is a menace defensively. Her return has been the biggest addition for the Lynx, one that gives them a better chance of winning their fifth WNBA title.