MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced that the team has signed five-time WNBA All-Star and free agent forward Angel McCoughtry. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. 

“We are excited to welcome Angel, one of the all-time greats in the history of our league, to the Minnesota Lynx,” said Lynx Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve. “Her competitive drive and passion for the game are unmatched and she will no doubt be an integral part of our quest for a fifth championship.”  

McCoughtry, 35, was selected by Atlanta as the first overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft and led the Dream to three trips to the WNBA Finals (2010, 2011, 2013) among eight postseason appearances overall. Most recently, the 6-1 forward played two seasons with Las Vegas, where in 2020 she averaged 14.4 points (on a career-high 51.8% shooting), 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 20.0 minutes per game.  

“The Lynx have been one of the toughest opponents I’ve played throughout my career,” McCoughtry said. “The level of basketball IQ this team has is evident through the many years of historical success. To become a part of this team is truly special and I will do my best to contribute to the expectations that this organization strives for. I’m excited to make Minnesota my homecourt and play in front of such passionate fans while learning from such a seasoned coaching staff.” 

The 12-year veteran, who was sidelined for all but one game in 2021 due to a right knee injury, paced the league in scoring in 2012 (21.4 ppg) and 2013 (21.5 ppg), and will enter 2022 ranked 15th on the WNBA’s all-time leaderboard in total points (5,785), eighth in points per game (18.7), third in free throws made (1,506), eight in total steals (626) and third in steals per game (2.0). McCoughtry has appeared in 309 regular season games and 41 postseason contests and holds the single-game scoring records for both a WNBA Finals game (38, set vs. Minnesota in 2011) and a playoff game (42, set vs. New York in 2010). 

McCoughtry, the 2009 Rookie of the Year, is a five-time WNBA All-Star (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018), an All-WNBA selection six times (First Team in 2011, 2015 and Second Team in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016) and a six-time WNBA All-Defensive First Team member (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016). Last September, she was named to the W25, a list of the 25 greatest and most influential players in WNBA history, joining Sylvia Fowles and former Lynx players Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Katie Smith and Lindsay Whalen. 

The two-time Olympic gold medalist (2012, 2016) will join Reeve and Lynx guard Kayla McBride at the 2022 USA Basketball Women’s National Team training camp in Washington, D.C., from Feb. 5-7. If selected, the two will participate in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament games vs. Belgium (Feb. 11) and Puerto Rico (Feb. 12).