Natisha Hiedeman Bio
Natisha Hiedeman (born February 10, 1997) is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Laces BC of Unrivaled. A shooting guard listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 132 pounds, she has built her career as a versatile perimeter scorer and steady playmaker. In 2026, Hiedeman joined the Seattle Storm, continuing her journey as one of the most respected guards in the league.
Early Life and Background
Natisha Hiedeman was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where she grew up surrounded by a tight family. Shortly after her birth, she had to wear a full-body harness because of a hyperextension in her left leg, an early challenge she overcame as a young child. Her mother had her at 19, and the two developed a close bond that helped shape Hiedeman’s resilient character.
As a child, Hiedeman also played baseball and was the only girl on her team, an experience that gave her confidence against older and bigger competition. She attended Green Bay Southwest High School, where she earned the nickname “T-Spoon” in honor of former WNBA star Teresa Weatherspoon. Hiedeman still holds several school records at Green Bay Southwest in track and field events, including the triple jump, high jump, long jump, and 100-meter hurdles.
Path to Basketball
Hiedeman was recruited to Marquette University after finishing as the leading scorer in the Green Bay Metro area during her high school years. In her first season with the Marquette Golden Eagles, she was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team, signaling her arrival as a future star.
She continued to develop across her next three college seasons, appearing on the Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List during the 2017–18 campaign. By the time she left Marquette, Hiedeman had become the program’s third all-time leading scorer, falling just 27 points short of the school record. She was also the first Marquette player to reach 300 made three-pointers and finished sixth on the program’s all-time assist chart.
Natisha Hiedeman Career
Early Career (2019)
Natisha Hiedeman was selected 18th overall in the 2019 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx, the highest pick of any Marquette player since Dwyane Wade. Her draft rights were traded to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Lexie Brown. The Sun eventually waived her, and the Atlanta Dream briefly signed Hiedeman as a EuroBasket replacement for Alex Bentley in June 2019, though she never appeared in a game before being waived again.
She was re-signed by the Connecticut Sun shortly after her exit from Atlanta and made her WNBA debut with the team, scoring her first points on July 10, 2019. As a rookie, Hiedeman averaged 3.7 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game across 20 appearances, and she appeared in seven of the Sun’s eight playoff games. Internationally, she joined Luleå Basket in Sweden for the 2019–20 season to continue her development.
Connecticut Sun Breakthrough (2020–2023)
During the 2020 season, Hiedeman played all 22 regular-season games and led the Sun in points and assists off the bench, averaging a career-high 6.1 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game. She signed the qualifying offer to return to the Sun in January 2021 and became one of four players to appear in all 32 regular-season games, posting career-best averages of 7.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 20.1 minutes per game.
The 2022 season marked her real breakthrough, as she entered the starting lineup five games into the year and helped lead Connecticut to its fourth WNBA Finals appearance. She set career highs with 9.1 points, 3.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and 25.0 minutes per game, and she tied her career high with 19 points in an 86–79 win over the Minnesota Lynx on July 24, hitting five three-pointers. In the Finals, she recorded a postseason career-high nine assists and played 34 minutes in Game 3 against the Las Vegas Aces.
On February 3, 2023, Hiedeman signed a two-year contract to stay with the Sun and started all 40 games that season, averaging 8.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. On July 20, 2023, she scored a season-high 24 points against the Atlanta Dream on 8-of-11 shooting, including 6-of-7 from three-point range with four steals, becoming the first player in Sun history and the 10th in WNBA history to record 20-plus points, six-plus three-pointers, and four-plus steals in a single game.
Minnesota Lynx Era (2024–2025)
On January 30, 2024, Hiedeman was traded to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Tiffany Mitchell and the 19th pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. She appeared in all 40 regular-season games and all 12 postseason games, including all five contests of the WNBA Finals, serving as a reliable backup to Courtney Williams. She re-signed with the Lynx on February 1, 2025, and delivered a strong comeback season, appearing in all 44 games as a reserve and tying her career high with 9.1 points per game while setting a new career-best 49.2 percent from the field.
Over the final five regular-season games, Hiedeman averaged 18.6 points, 4.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game, scoring 20-plus points in four of those contests and ranking seventh in the WNBA in scoring during that span. On September 11, she was named the winner of the Sylvia Fowles Altruism Award for her community work. She also played for Inner Mongolia in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association from November 2024 to January 2025 and joined Phantom BC in Unrivaled in January 2025 before being reassigned to the Laces BC.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hiedeman is a scoring point guard who excels as a shooter from beyond the arc and as a creator for teammates in pick-and-roll situations. Her 49.2 percent field-goal shooting in 2025 reflected improved shot selection and finishing at the rim. Strong chemistry with Courtney Williams in the Lynx backcourt allowed her to thrive in a complementary reserve role while also stepping into lead-guard duties when needed.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among her career milestones, Hiedeman became the highest-drafted Marquette player since Dwyane Wade and the highest Big East pick since conference realignment. She is the first player in Connecticut Sun history and the 10th in WNBA history to record 20-plus points, six-plus three-pointers, and four-plus steals in a single game. In 2024, she won the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship with the Minnesota Lynx.
Natisha Hiedeman Career Wins
Natisha Hiedeman has collected team and individual honors across both the WNBA and college basketball. She captured a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup title with the Minnesota Lynx in 2024 and earned Big East Player of the Year and First-Team All-Big East honors in 2019. She was also named to the Big East All-Freshman Team in 2016 and received the Sylvia Fowles Altruism Award in 2025.
WNBA Highlights
Hiedeman’s most significant WNBA team achievement came in 2024, when the Minnesota Lynx won the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. Individually, she set multiple career highs with the Connecticut Sun, including 9.1 points per game in 2022 and a 24-point performance against the Atlanta Dream in 2023. She also played in the 2024 WNBA Finals, averaging 5.7 points, 2.3 assists, and 0.7 steals across five games.
Other Wins & Performances
At Marquette, Hiedeman finished as the third all-time leading scorer and was the first player in program history to make 300 three-pointers. She also won Big East Player of the Year in 2019, becoming one of the most decorated players in program history. Internationally, she has competed in Sweden, Israel, Russia, and China.
Natisha Hiedeman Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hiedeman’s older brother, Sandy Cohen, played college basketball at Marquette and has competed professionally for Hapoel Afula B.C. in Israel. The two share a close bond rooted in their Green Bay upbringing and their shared path through the Marquette program. Their family has supported Hiedeman throughout her basketball journey, from high school to the WNBA.
Personal Life
In September 2021, Hiedeman announced her engagement to former Connecticut Sun guard Jasmine Thomas. She is also known for co-hosting the Twitch channel StudBudz with Minnesota Lynx teammate Courtney Williams, which gained popularity during the 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend and led to features in Slam and Vogue.
2025 Season Performance
Natisha Hiedeman’s 2025 season with the Minnesota Lynx represented a strong bounce-back after a quieter 2024 campaign. She appeared in all 44 games as a reserve, tying her career high with 9.1 points per game and posting a new career-best 49.2 percent from the field. Her 1.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game also reflected her expanded playmaking role when Courtney Williams rested.
Her late-season surge was particularly impressive, as she averaged 18.6 points, 4.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game over the final five regular-season games, scoring 20-plus points in four of those contests. That stretch ranked her seventh in the WNBA in scoring, cementing her value as a reliable closer for the Lynx bench unit.
Beyond her on-court production, Hiedeman’s leadership and community impact were recognized when she received the Sylvia Fowles Altruism Award on September 11, 2025. With the Lynx competing deep into the postseason, her steady veteran presence and growing comfort in Minnesota’s system set the stage for her next chapter with the Seattle Storm in 2026.
