“If you don’t take risks, you’ll never win big.” Geno Auriemma said it, and this time of year, it rings even louder. The NCAA Tournament just wrapped, the WNBA Draft came fast, and now, training camp decisions are being made just as quickly. Every April, college stars make that leap. The stakes are high, and so is the competition.

And while every draftee is celebrated in the moment, history shows that fewer than half will ultimately secure a spot on a regular-season roster. The transition from college to the pros is steep, and the WNBA’s limited roster space—means hard decisions are made fast.

But when the Minnesota Lynx announced their 2025 training camp roster this week, one name was missing: Aubrey Griffin. That caught a lot of people off guard. Griffin, a UConn product with six seasons under Auriemma and a reputation for elite defense, was drafted second-to-last in W. Late picks aren’t promised much, but expectations for Griffin were different. She had the pedigree, the grit, and the experience.

Still, the Lynx—fresh off a Finals run—chose not to bring her in. Why so?

Why the Lynx Didn’t Bring Aubrey Griffin to Camp— Still Bet on Her Future

The roster had 20 names, including seven rookies and five players with six or more years of experience. Griffin, who spent six years in this field and helped the Huskies capture a national championship just weeks before the draft, would’ve logically fit into that mix. But the Lynx had other plans: rather than bringing her in now, they opted to retain her rights as an unsigned draftee.

This move might seem strange at first. Griffin is talented and played a big role in UConn’s success. But when you look closer, it starts to make sense. The Lynx just reached the 2024 WNBA Finals. They’re built to win now. Their roster is stacked with experienced players. That leaves little room for rookies. They need players who can help right away. Griffin is still recovering from injuries (not 100% fit). Her athleticism is elite, no doubt. But her injury history makes her a risk. The Lynx likely want to give her more time. They kept her rights, so they’re still interested. Just not now.

The decision also reflects how tight WNBA rosters are. There are only 12 teams, and each team can carry just 12 players. Most teams don’t even use all 12 spots because of the salary cap—they stick to 11. That leaves very little space for rookies. In 2024, only 13 drafted players made opening-day rosters. It was the same story in 2023 and 2022, with just 15 and 17 making it. The league simply doesn’t have enough room. Even talented players get left out. And without a G League for development, many of them head overseas. That makes it even harder to stay on the WNBA radar.

In light of all this, the Lynx’s decision to retain Griffin’s rights for one more year rather than taking the risk of bringing her into training camp in 2025 makes sense. Holding on to her rights means they can bring her back into the fold in 2026, should they have more space or if Griffin is fully healthy and ready to contribute.

While Griffin’s professional career isn’t guaranteed, this is a franchise seems to be patient. “She never lost hope. She never lost focus,” said her high school coach, Ricci. “It was just incredible to me. A lot of kids would have given up.”

For now, though, the Lynx’s decision is a calculated one. A matter of timing. 

The Long Road Back: Aubrey Griffin’s Battle Through Injury

Griffin’s journey really started years earlier—before her UConn days, back in high school at Ossining in New York. There, her coach Dan Ricci saw her first go through the wringer with injury tears.

Then came college. Griffin became the first player to spend six years under Auriemma, earning both a COVID-19 eligibility extension and a medical redshirt after season-ending back surgery wiped out her junior year. But just when she looked poised to break through again, she tore her ACL—again—on January 3, 2024. The injury ruled her out for the rest of the 2024 season. It took her 381 days to return to competitive basketball. Her comeback finally came on January 19, 2025.

But her return didn’t mean she was fully in the clear. By early March, Griffin was dealing with soreness in the same knee. On March 3, after a game, Auriemma announced that she would sit out the rest of the regular season to recover. “It’s best to give her all this time,” he said, emphasizing how close they were to the postseason and how critical she could be in those games.

Griffin missed the final three regular-season games. But when the postseason arrived? She was ready.

She suited up for every game of the 2025 Big East Tournament and NCAA Tournament, making a real impact during UConn’s run. Geno was full of praise. “She was playing the best basketball of her career,” as he said earlier in march. “You saw the other night the impact that she can have on a game. So she still has it—she could still be as impactful as she’s ever been.”

But after having missed so much, so recently, her next chapter is on pause. But no matter when her pro career officially begins, Aubrey Griffin will be ready.

“Honestly, Coach Geno prepared me for anything, literally,” Griffin said. “Like all my roles I’ve been through the whole six years I’ve been there, I’m willing, and I’m pretty confident I can handle anything.”