WNBA Free Agency: Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve outlines offseason priorities around Napheesa Collier

The WNBA free agency is about to start, and teams knocking on the door of a championship will have to be aggressive to bolster their rosters. The Minnesota Lynx is one of them.

The Lynx took the New York Liberty to five games in the WNBA finals but ultimately lost. With Napheesa Collier at the height of her talents, they know they need to put more talent around her.

“I think there are a few players that we think could be the missing piece to put ourselves in position to return to compete for the championship,” Lynx coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said on Tuesday, via the Minnesota Star-Tribune. “I think we feel we could use a couple players to really bolster our chances.”

Minnesota has roughly over $400,000 in available cap space, so it will have to be careful with how it spends the scarce resources. Fortunately for the Lynx, they have a deep team and not a glaring need at any position, despite Cecilia Zandalasini's departure.

“We have a stretch-four (Napheesa Collier) who occupied last season, 34 minutes of the game," Reeve said. "We have a stretch-five [Alanna Smith]. We have someone like Dorka who will, I think, get back to being part of the rotation. We don’t necessarily have a big priority position-wise. There are a couple players [the team is looking at] who play on the perimeter, a couple who play in the post. We’re looking for the best fit.”

Minnesota Lynx president predicts free-agency mayhem next year

Things could be different in the WNBA next season. The league is still in talks with the players' association for a new collective bargaining agreement.

There will likely be a significant uptick in salaries, which is also why most players are signing one-year deals, knowing that they will be in a position to make more after next season.

“This is the last year for the short-term contracts," Reeve said. "So, the climate (next year) is going to be 90 percent of the league is an unrestricted free agent."

The uptick in ratings and the league's expansion will bring more money to the table and the biggest stars in the game will earn more. However, that will also pose a big challenge for teams looking to keep their stars under contract for years to come.