The Valuable Presence of Bridget Carleton » Winsidr

At 13-3, the Minnesota Lynx currently stand as one of the best teams in the WNBA. They are on pace to have their best regular season since their dynastic span that featured four championships in seven years. The team’s success can be attributed to an MVP-caliber season by Napheesa Collier, the three-point barrage that Kayla McBride provides, new chemistry established by Alanna Smith and Courtney Williams from their time in Chicago last year, and even solid bench production from players such as Natisha Hiedeman, Dorka Juhász and Cecilia Zandalasini.

What may go unnoticed is the constant activity and steadiness of Bridget Carleton.

Carleton, who moved into the starting lineup after a knee injury sidelined Diamond Miller, is on pace to have the best season of her career. This season, Carleton is averaging 8.0 points per game (PPG), 3.7 rebounds per game (RPG), and 1.8 assists per game (APG). Also, she is seeing a lot more playing time at 29.1 minutes per game (MPG), increased by 14 minutes compared to 2023.

Carleton is a solid and tough defender who has been tasked with covering some of the most potent offensive players in the league such as Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Kahleah Copper and Allisha Gray. She also currently averages 1.1 steals per game (SPG) and 0.4 blocks per game (BPG). Her ability to disrupt a team’s offensive flow with active hands and awareness for the ball is a positive for the Lynx defense.

On offense, Carleton is one of the better three-point shooters in the league, and she is more than capable of making big-time clutch baskets. In Game Two of the Lynx’s playoff series against the Connecticut Sun last season, Carleton made a huge three-pointer in the fourth quarter to fend off a ferocious Sun comeback, and help the Lynx win the game on the road.

The Lynx offense is already intimidating with Collier’s stellar play in the interior, but now the team has capable perimeter shooters who’ve helped the team become one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league. Minnesota averages 10.5 made three-point shots per game (second in the league), while leading the WNBA in three-point shooting percentage at 39.8 percent.

So far, 69 out of 90 field goal attempts by Carleton are from three-point range. Also, Carleton is the only Lynx player in the starting lineup who is not averaging double digits in points. From inside the three point line, however, Carleton hasn’t utilized her ability to score and has often looked less aggressive at the rim or in the midrange. These opportunities can allow her to become an even more reliable scorer and offensive player for the team.

One could argue that she is at her best when she represents her country in international competition. Carleton, a native of Canada, has valuable experience playing on the national team; in particular, she was on the team that failed to advance to the knockout stage at the previous Olympics in Tokyo. Since then, she continued to participate in international tournaments to help ensure Canada’s qualification for the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

Carleton played in the 2022 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament (20.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 3.5 APG in two games), the 2022 FIBA World Cup (12.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 2.0 APG in eight games), the 2023 FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament (11.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 2.7 APG in three games) and the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (14.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 2.0 APG in three games). In fact, at the aforementioned World Cup tournament, she was selected as a member of the All-Star Five (the tournament’s First Team), along with A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Stephanie Talbot and Han Xu.

Carleton exudes a lot of confidence playing for Canada and is expected to play a key role for the team again in a few weeks at the Olympics. She is not as passive on offense, and is more willing to attack the rim and create more shooting chances for herself or her teammates. If she can find a way to translate that level of productivity to the Lynx, especially on days when Collier or McBride struggle, then the Lynx offense can become even more versatile and tougher for defenses to handle.

Last year in the preseason, she was part of the first-ever WNBA game in Canada, which was held at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. She became the first Canadian player to play a WNBA game in the country. Before the game started, she took the microphone and had the honor of welcoming her home country and the WNBA to each other. The success of the WNBA preseason games in Toronto and Edmonton, and the rise in viewership and attention for the league were instrumental in Toronto receiving a WNBA expansion team that is slated to begin play in 2026.

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There are only four Canadian players currently on rosters in the league: Carleton, Kia Nurse, Laeticia Amihere and Aaliyah Edwards. Carleton has crafted a solid WNBA career and has become one of the most successful Canadian players in the league’s history. Along with being a great representative for the Lynx’s winning culture, she is a strong representative of international success within the WNBA.

“Grit” and “hustle” are words that embody the effort that Carleton displays on the court. She may not be on a lot of people’s All-Star voting ballots, but the determination that she plays with is at an All-Star level.

The Lynx organization ended up finding a gem of a player who was drafted in the second round by the Sun in 2019 and waived after playing just four games, and believed in her potential contributions enough to keep her in Minnesota for the foreseeable future. Now, she is a key player in helping the Lynx pursue their championship aspirations and return to the top of the mountain.

Whether she wears a Lynx jersey or a Canadian national team jersey, Carleton is prepared to bring her best against the best.

Stats as of June 25. Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of WNBA.com.