Lynx Sign Six to Training Camp Contracts
WNBA Minnesota Lynx

Lynx Sign Six to Training Camp Contracts

Published on April 16, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Minnesota Lynx News Release


Minneapolis/St. Paul - The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has signed Amaya Battle, Liatu King, Ra Shaya Kyle, Jade Masogayo, Saylor Poffenbarger and Sakima Walker to training camp contracts. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not released.

Battle, a 5-11 guard from the University of Minnesota, joins the Lynx after leading the Gophers to their first Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament since 2004. She averaged 11.1 points on 38.3% shooting from the floor, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 33 games (all starts) for Minnesota this season. The Hopkins, Minn., native ended the 2025-26 season as one of two active NCAA players with more than 1,530 points, 775 rebounds and 595 assists in their careers, along with Lynx rookie Olivia Miles. She also surpassed Lynx Assistant Coach Lindsay Whalen against Ohio State to become the Gophers' second all-time assists leader (599). Battle led Minnesota with five double-doubles last season and had 18 double-figure scoring games. Her best performance came against Nebraska, where she scored a season-high 21 points along with six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.

King, a 6-0 forward, joins Minnesota after being drafted 28th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. Most recently, she played for Mersin Gençlerbirliği in the Turkish TKBL this offseason, averaging 23.0 points on 52.4% shooting from the floor, along with 14.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.7 blocks per game in 22 contests this season. King appeared in 14 games for the Sparks and Dallas Wings last season while on hardship contracts, averaging 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 48.1 percent from the field. The forward spent four seasons at the University of Pittsburgh prior to transferring to Notre Dame for her graduate season. She appeared in 33 games (all starts) for the Fighting Irish, averaging 11.5 points on 56.3% shooting from the floor, along with a program-record 10.4 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.6 assists per game. She ranked first in the ACC in defensive rebounds (240) and finished fourth on Notre Dame's single-season rebounds list (342). A 2024-25 semifinalist for the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award, King also earned All-ACC Second Team and All-ACC Academic Team honors in 2024-25 after being named the ACC Most Improved Player in 2023-24. She averaged a double-double in both her senior and graduate seasons, including career-best averages of 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds in 2023-24 while at Pittsburgh.

Kyle, a 6-6 forward from the University of Miami, joins the Lynx after averaging a career-high 16.3 points on 55.8% shooting from the field, along with 10.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.7 blocks per game in 32 contests (all starts) this season. She was selected to the Naismith Hall of Fame Lisa Leslie Center of the Year top 10 watch list and named to the All-ACC First Team after posting 22 double-doubles this season, ranking third in the NCAA. The Marion, Ind., native's best outing came against Pittsburgh, where she posted a career-high 36 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 14-of-18 (77.8%) from the field. Before joining the Hurricanes, Kyle spent three seasons at the University of Florida and began her collegiate career with two seasons at Purdue.

Masogayo, a 6-3 forward from the University of Colorado, joins Minnesota after averaging 11.3 points on 48.9% shooting from the floor, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game in 33 contests (all starts) this season, helping lead the Buffaloes to an NCAA Tournament appearance. She earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors this season after posting 20 double-figure scoring games and recording a block in 21 contests throughout the year. Her best performance of the season came against TCU, where she posted 23 points on 7-of-11 (63.6%) shooting from the floor, also tallying three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Prior to joining the Buffaloes, the Fort Worth, Texas, native played two seasons at Missouri State, earning MVC Freshman of the Year honors and a spot on the MVC All-Freshman Team in 2023.

Poffenbarger, a 6-2 guard from the University of Maryland, joins Minnesota after helping the Terps to an NCAA Tournament appearance, averaging 9.5 points on 38.5% shooting from the floor, along with 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game in 31 contests (all starts). Poffenbarger logged five double-doubles and scored in double figures in 14 games throughout the season. The Middletown, Md., native's best performance came when she recorded a career-high 30 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a block in 48 minutes during a double-overtime win at Minnesota. Before joining Maryland, Poffenbarger spent time at the University of Connecticut and Arkansas, earning All-SEC Freshman Team honors in 2023.

Walker, a 6-6 forward from the University of California, Berkeley, joins the Lynx after averaging a career-high 12.5 points on 55.4% shooting from the floor, along with 6.9 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 assists per game in 36 contests (all starts) this season. She finished the season ranked second on the team in scoring and led the team in rebounding and total blocks (71), also finishing ranked second in the ACC in field goal percentage. The Columbus, Ohio, native's best performance of the season came against Kansas State in the WBIT Tournament, posting 28 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the floor (72.2%) along with 16 rebounds, four assists and a steal. Walker posted seven double-doubles and 11 games with 15+ points throughout the season. Prior to joining the Golden Bears, she played two seasons at South Carolina after starting her collegiate career at Rutgers, becoming an NCAA National Champion with the Gamecocks in 2024.

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