South Florida in the WNBA | Sept. 27 – Oct. 3, 2026
Courtney Williams and the Lynx's "Big 3" Under Pressure
The dynasty narrative around the Minnesota Lynx is real — and so is the turbulence that comes with October basketball.
Courtney Williams, the South Florida alumna who forms one-third of the Lynx's celebrated "Big 3" alongside Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride, turned in the most eye-catching stat line of any USF alum this week. In Minnesota's Wednesday, Sept. 30 matchup against New York, Williams dropped 18 points, dished 5 assists, and hauled in 8 rebounds — a complete performance that underscored exactly why she's been central to a franchise that has posted top-two regular-season finishes in each of the last three seasons, including back-to-back top seeds in 2025 and 2026.
The catch: Minnesota lost, 87–71, a result that carried real postseason weight. Williams finished at -12 in plus-minus, a reflection of a team-wide struggle rather than any individual shortcoming. Two nights earlier, on Sunday, Sept. 27, the Lynx dropped another game to New York, 91–75. Williams was quieter offensively with 9 points but made her presence felt elsewhere — 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks — before finishing at -18 in a game that slipped away early.
Back-to-back losses to the Liberty is not the script the Lynx had in mind heading into the postseason window, but Williams's ability to produce across multiple statistical categories even in defeat is precisely the kind of two-way versatility that has made the Big 3 more than a marketing phrase. This trio has been the engine of genuine, sustained success in Minneapolis, and Williams's emotional investment in what they've built together has been palpable — her reflections on the Lynx's run have drawn attention throughout the league.
Kitija Laksa Suits Up for Dallas
Over in Dallas, fellow USF alumna Kitija Laksa appeared in multiple games for the Wings during the stretch. Her most notable contribution came Monday, Sept. 28, when she scored 11 points with a +1 plus-minus in an 80–104 loss to Golden State. Laksa's stat lines from the Oct. 1 and Oct. 3 matchups against the same opponent were not available in full, but her presence on the roster kept a second USF flag flying in the WNBA this week.
The Wings have faced a tough stretch, but Laksa's continued rotation-level role is a marker of her professional longevity in a league that doesn't carry passengers.
The bigger picture for Bulls fans watching this league: Williams is competing in the sport's brightest spotlight, on a franchise built to contend, with a statistical profile this week — 27 points, 10 assists, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks across two games — that reflects a player playing to win, not just to fill minutes. How the Lynx respond to this rough patch will define whether a dynasty adds another chapter or absorbs its first real stumble.
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