MINNESOTA — Guard Courtney Williams is returning to the Minnesota Lynx on a two-year maximum contract, according to her agent, Marcus Crenshaw. The deal is the first signing the Lynx have made during the 2026 WNBA free agency period.

Williams averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 assists and 4.9 rebounds with the Lynx last season. She was a member of the Minnesota team that earned the No. 1 seed in the 2025 playoffs and helped the Lynx reach the WNBA Finals in 2024, the year she first joined the franchise on a two-year contract. Her new two-year max deal keeps her in a Lynx uniform through at least the 2027 season.

The 5-foot-8 guard was selected eighth overall in the 2016 WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury. She went on to play for the Connecticut Sun and spent the 2023 season with the Chicago Sky before signing with Minnesota in 2024.

Williams' return comes as the Lynx navigate roster changes heading into the 2026 season. Minnesota lost Bridget Carleton in the expansion draft, and Natisha Hiedeman, Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard are no longer on the roster. Williams and Hiedeman had become a popular pairing known as the "StudBudz" duo and conducted live streams during the 2025 WNBA season that went viral.

The Lynx are also awaiting the return of forward Napheesa Collier, who underwent surgery on both ankles this offseason. According to a January announcement, Collier was expected to miss four to six months following the procedures.

Teams and players can officially begin signing new contracts on Saturday, six days after the start of WNBA free agency.