“Natisha’s return to the Lynx was a high priority for us in free agency as she proved to be an important factor in our 2024 Finals run,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said after the franchise re-signed Natisha Hiedeman for another year. She wasn’t kidding. Hiedeman lit it up in her first year with Minnesota. No wonder the Lynx didn’t hesitate to bring her back.

It’s the beginning of a WNBA second act for her. After spending five solid years with the Connecticut Sun, Hiedeman finally stepped into a new chapter. And she wasted zero time clicking with the Lynx. While she playfully called herself “annoying” last season, her teammates had a much sweeter take—they said she’s “curious,” always trying to learn their styles and how to best mesh on the court. As she gears up for Season 2 in Minnesota, we figured it’s time to dive into who she is off the hardwood too.

Let’s start with her rock, Shelly Hiedeman. Shelly had Natisha just a month before turning 20, and yes, life wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. “It’s been hard,” Shelly said. “But everything I’ve done, I’ve done for her. I just wanted her dreams to come true.” A young single mom without even a car? That’s grit.

She wasn’t totally alone though. Her high school friend Angie Rusk (née Gevaert) and Angie’s parents, Mike and Ann Gevaert, stepped in like absolute heroes. Fun fact—Angie was a senior at Southwest when she literally drove Shelly to the hospital in the middle of the night to give birth to Natisha. And Natisha sees it all. “I can’t imagine having a kid at 19 or 20,” she said. She expressed her deep love and appreciation for her mother, acknowledging how difficult things had been for her, especially since her father wasn’t around at the time.