The three-time WNBA Champion returns to Minnesota
Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has signed forward Natasha Howard. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
“We are happy to be bringing Tasha home to the Minnesota Lynx. She has earned some impressive accolades since her time with the Lynx, and we look forward to adding her versatile offensive skillset and defensive proficiency to our team,” said Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations Cheryl Reeve.
Howard, a three-time WNBA Champion, returns to Minnesota after appearing in 44 games (all starts) for the Indiana Fever last season. The forward averaged 11.4 points on 55.3% shooting from the floor, along with 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, helping the Fever reach the WNBA Semifinals. In 2025, Howard recorded 14 games with 20+ points, including a season-high 26 points on 12-of-17 (70.6%) shooting from the floor against Atlanta on May 22, when she also added seven rebounds, two assists and a steal in the win. She was named MVP of the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup Championship after leading the Fever to their first-ever tournament title with a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double performance.
The forward won back-to-back WNBA Championships in 2017 and 2018 with Minnesota and the Seattle Storm, respectively. The 2018 title marked her first with Seattle, and she again won with the Storm in 2020, securing her third career championship. Howard holds playoff averages of 7.9 points on 49.7% shooting from the field and 4.5 rebounds per game across 61 postseason appearances.
The Toledo, Ohio native was selected fifth overall in the 2014 WNBA Draft by Indiana and was named the league’s Most Improved Player in 2018 after helping lead the Storm to a league-best record while posting then career-highs of 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.97 blocked shots and 1.29 steals per game. A year later, in 2019, Howard earned All-WNBA First Team honors and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year after recording a league-leading 74 steals while also finishing third in the WNBA in total blocked shots (59) and blocks per game (1.74). She was also named a WNBA All-Star in 2019 and 2022.
Howard graduated from Florida State University and finished her career as the program’s all-time leader in rebounds (1,047) and double-doubles (41), while ranking second in career points (1,811) and third in blocks (186). She capped her senior season with the Seminoles averaging 20.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.1 steals per game.
