Why is Aubrey Griffin not on the Minnesota Lynx training camp roster? Possible reasons explored

Modified Apr 24, 2025 11:32 GMT

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After Aubrey Griffin was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx this year, they announced their full list of players for training camp on Wednesday ahead of the 2025 season. Surprisingly, Griffin was absent from the released 20-player list, raising questions about her omission.

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Selected as the 37th pick in the 2025 WNBA draft by the Lynx, Griffin is set to begin her professional career off the back of NCAA championship success with the UConn Huskies. She is one of three former UConn players drafted this year, alongside top pick Paige Bueckers and 30th pick Kaitlyn Chen.

Standing at 6-foot-1, she primarily plays as a forward and, in her senior year, she averaged 4.4 points, 3.4 rebounds while shooting 59.5% from the floor. Although Aubrey Griffin wasn't a top prospect coming into the draft, she was seen as a potentially good role player for the Lynx, while continually learning from star players like Napheesa Collier.

This seemed to be the case when Minnesota selected her in the third round, but there are questions now after she was left out of training camp. This article explores two possible reasons behind her omission.

#1. The Minnesota Lynx may have decided against including her on the roster for next season

While many WNBA draftees go on to secure a spot on the roster of their respective teams, others don't. This is because getting drafted into the league doesn't guarantee a place on the roster for any player.

Therefore, it looks like the Minnesota Lynx might have taken this route for now with regards to Aubrey Griffin.

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Last year, only 15 of the 36 draftees in the 2024 draft made the roster of their respective teams. About half of the 2025 class may likely face the same fate too. If this turns out to be the case for Griffin, it would be a disappointing outcome for her as she's just coming off a successful season in college basketball.

#2. Aubrey Griffin's injury issues could have kept her out of training camp

Another reason that might explain Griffin's absence from the Minnesota camp could be her lingering knee injury. The forward missed the entirety of the 2023-24 season with UConn after suffering a torn ACL in Dec. 2023.

But even after recovering from that setback and featuring last season for the Huskies, there is still talk of her not being fully healthy.

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If Aubrey Griffin has medical evaluations lined up for her by the Lynx, it could mean they want to manage her properly and not risk another injury in training camp. It will be interesting to see how her career pans out from here.

About the author

Peter Okereke is a WNBA writer & analyst for Sportskeeda. Since his first foray into online journalism in 2019, Peter has written hundreds of articles on Football and Basketball.
His most recent stint was at FirstSportz, where he wrote extensively on the NBA and the WNBA. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Port Harcourt and uses his analytical skills to enhance his creativity in sports journalism, especially in basketball.

Coming from a predominantly football nation, Peter is a die-hard Chelsea fan but fell in love with basketball after watching Kobe Bryant and LeBron James create magical moments in the NBA. This fandom is reflected in his writing, allowing him to share engaging stories and connect with fans around the world with factual insights and relatable narratives. He holds a strong, often controversial opinion that the Los Angeles Lakers are the greatest team in the NBA and that LeBron James is the greatest of all time.
When he's not writing, Peter is binge-watching movies or traveling.

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Edited by Nadim El Kak