The Minnesota Lynx have so much bench depth that they have two Sixth Player of the Year candidates, with Jessica Shepard and Natisha Hiedeman among the frontrunners for the award.
Both bench players are having career seasons and are a big part of why the Lynx have so much lineup versatility and ample replacements when starters miss time. However, Hiedeman has launched herself into further consideration after a recent string of end-of-season performances.
Over a three-game stretch between September 1’s matchup with the Dallas Wings and September 5’s game against the Golden State Valkyries, Hiedeman averaged 22 points and 5.7 assists per game. She shot 63.6% from the field and 12 of 18 (66.6%) from three-point range in 28.9 minutes per game.
In those three games, Hiedeman set consecutive season-highs in points and also tied her career-high with 24 points against Dallas.
That output put Hiedeman in impressive company.
The second half of the season has demonstrated the push that Hiedeman needed to be further considered for the 6POTY award.
In the first 22 games of the season, Hiedeman averaged 7.6 points, 3 assists, and 1 turnover. She shot 45% from the field and 27.1% from three with a true shooting percentage of 53.9% in 18.4 minutes per game. Hiedeman’s efficiency was lower, but she was still impacting winning as a bench scorer for the Lynx.
However, in the final 22 games of the season, Hiedeman averaged 10.5 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 turnovers per game. She shot an improved 53% from the field and 46.2% from three, with a true shooting percentage of 64% in 19.4 minutes per game.
What has driven Hiedeman’s success has been her ability to find a balance between efficiency, mixing her three-point shooting with her scoring inside the arc. The seventh-year pro has made drastic changes to her shot diet, and it has helped lead to one of her most efficient seasons of her career.
As Hiedeman found her role in the WNBA early on with Connecticut, she relied heavily on her three-point jumper for her scoring.
Heidman attempted 4 three-point attempts (3PA) per game in 2021, a career-high 4.7 3PA in 2022, and 4 3PA in 2023. She had an overall average 3PA per game of 4.2 with the Sun.
Hiedeman’s rate-based stats back that data up, as she had a career average 3-point attempt rate (3PAr) of 58.4% with the Sun. With a 3PAr of 65.6% in 2021, 61.3% in 2022, and 51.3% in 2023.
However, since arriving in Minnesota in 2024, Hiedeman has averaged just 2.5 3PA per game, with a 3PAr of 41.4% — a big change from her peak playing years in Connecticut.
It was bold for 5’8” Hiedeman to rely on a shot diet of more 2P field-goals than efficient 3P field-goals, but it has worked masterfully for Hiedeman.
This year, Hiedeman is averaging career highs in 2P FG% and 2PAr, which have led to career highs in effective field-goal percentage and true-shooting percentage. Hiedeman has found the balance between the scoring freedom she had at the end of her tenure in Connecticut and her newfound fit with the Lynx.
Hiedeman is shooting an astounding 75% (78 of 104) at the rim.
She benefits from the Lynx’s offensive spacing, transition leakouts, and playing off the gravity of Napheesa Collier. However, it is still not easy for a smaller guard to be that effective around the rim, even with an easier playing context.
Hiedeman has found a way to be more efficient from 2P range while also having a drastic increase in 2PAr. She set a career high this season, with 59.5% of her shot attempts coming from 2-point range — a bump up from her mark of 57.3% the previous season.
Overall in her Lynx career, 58.4% of Hiedeman’s shot attempts are from 2P range, which is a drastic difference from her time in Connecticut.
Her career mark of 53.1% on 2PA with the Lynx is also a +11.8% increase from her 5 seasons with the Sun.
Hiedeman is also capable of playing both on and off the ball, even as a small guard. She can effectively play alongside other guards like Courtney Williams and give the Lynx and Cheryl Reeve the ability to comfortably play the two alongside each other when Hiedeman is outperforming others.
In 319 minutes, lineups that feature the StudBudz, Williams, and Hiedeman have a net rating of +13.
Ultimately, Hiedeman brings everything you want in a bench scorer. She has been efficient, she plays with an uptempo pace that brings a sense of randomness to the Lynx offense, she can play in a multitude of roles offensively, and she knows her role. It’s likely that one of the Lynx candidates, Jessica Shepard or Natisha Hiedeman, will earn the 6POTY award, but Hiedeman deserves the nod.
