Happy New Year! As we emerge from another holiday season, with days getting longer and more snow and cold ahead of us, here’s a look at some Minnesota sports storylines we’ll be talking about in 2026.
Can the Twins win back their disgruntled fans and contend again in the AL Central?
Over the long haul, maybe. But it will take a lot more than changing Pohlads at the top of the organization (from Joe to Tom, his older brother) and signing middling free agents like Josh Bell. A lot more.
At least Tom Pohlad, in his introductory press conference in December, appeared to acknowledge the major issues facing the franchise after his family chose to retain majority ownership instead of selling, including acknowledging the club needs to reconnect with fans instead of presuming winning alone will magically solve every problem.
“We’ve got a fan base that has lost trust in us as owners — and, as a result, this organization and the direction it’s headed,” Tom Pohlad told reporters that day. “We’ve got to do a better job of telling fans where we’re going, how we’re going to get there and why we’re doing the things we’re doing. I commit to that going forward.”
Unless the Twins somehow package their glut of underperforming left-handed hitters for a past or potential All-Star, expect the usual Nordstrom Rack approach to the off-season: Waiting until a few weeks before spring training to sign mid-level veterans to one-year or minor-league contracts. Keeping Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan likely kept Byron Buxton from waiving his no-trade clause and asking out, which would have guaranteed a near-empty ballpark next summer.
One encouraging sign: The Twins brought in four active players, including young stars Royce Lewis and Luke Keaschall, for charity appearances during its annual Holiday Week of Giving in early December. Players need to be more visible to fans away from the ballpark, not less, as they were under former manager Rocco Baldelli.
Will there be a 2026 WNBA season?
Hard to say. Negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement are ongoing, with the deadline extended to Jan. 9.
Though WNBA players authorized a strike if negotiations break down, one would hope neither side is stupid enough to sabotage the roll the sport’s been on the last three years. Women’s basketball has never been more popular or had more money around it, spurred by the crossover popularity of young stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. And there’s plenty more revenue to be had if both sides handle this like partners instead of adversaries.
Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) dribbles the ball towards Phoenix Mercury forward Natasha Mack (4) during the first half of Game 4 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Phoenix. Credit: Samantha Chow/AP
Whenever there is an agreement, expect the largest free agent frenzy in the history of pro sports. Most veterans structured their contracts to expire after last season, leaving a pool of more than 120 players for teams to scramble after.
Even if the Lynx retain superstar Napheesa Collier, the StudBudz (Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman) and most key veterans, they can only protect five players in the upcoming expansion draft. Lots of work ahead for Cheryl Reeve and her staff, who also hold the No. 2 pick in the college draft via a trade from Chicago.
And speaking of Reeve: New owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez better take this opportunity to sweeten and extend her contract, before any future expansion franchise (looking at you, Philadelphia) rolls a steamer trunk full of cash her way.
Which Minnesotans have the best shots at gold medals at the Milano/Cortina Olympics?
Start with the women’s hockey team, which swept the recent four-game Rivalry Series with Canada while outscoring them 24-7. The roster is expected to include Minnesotans Lee Stecklein (Roseville) and Taylor Heise (Lake City), current University of Minnesota standout Abbey Murphy, Minnesota Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, and possibly others. It usually comes down to the U.S. versus Canada for gold, with the Americans looking for their first since 2018.
Three-time World Cup champion Jessie Diggins (Afton), America’s most decorated cross country skier, looks to add to her complete set of Olympic medals before gliding into retirement. And never count out a determined Lindsey Vonn, the Twin Cities metro product and 2010 downhill gold medalist making a comeback at 41 with a partially replaced knee.
Will any Minnesota college basketball team make it to March Madness?
Yes, though which one remains to be seen.
The University of Minnesota men, under new coach Niko Medved, split their first two Big Ten Conference games against ranked teams, upsetting Indiana at home before getting blown out at Purdue. Maybe there’s something there. The women, meanwhile, played undefeated and nationally-ranked Maryland tough enough in their Big Ten opener (albeit blowing late leads to lose in double overtime) to suggest Coach Dawn Plitzuweit’s squad has the better shot.
St. Thomas is NCAA Tournament-eligible for the first time since making the move from Division III to Division I. Summit League coaches picked the Tommie men as preseason favorites, and sophomore scoring sensation Nolan Minessale as preseason Player of the Year. The women, after losing four starters, struggled early before finding some footing in December. Each will have to win the league tournament in March to get in, since the NCAA Selection Committees rarely award at-large berths to mid-majors.
Elsewhere, keep an eye on the Minnesota State women in Division II. The 2024 NCAA champions entered the holiday break 13-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Can the Twin Cities support two pro women’s volleyball teams?
It’s hard to believe the Cities can support even one more pro franchise, though Minnesota’s thriving youth volleyball community makes it worth a shot. Major League Volleyball and League One Volleyball announced Minnesota expansion plans four days apart last November, with both franchises slated to begin play in January 2027. Look for both franchises to hire coaching staffs, sell season tickets and acquire players with Minnesota roots in the coming months.
Minnesota Sports & Entertainment, helmed by Wild owner Craig Leipold, will operate the MLV team out of Grand Casino Arena (formerly the Xcel Energy Center). The League One entry seeks local ownership and a place to play. A League One spokesperson told me the MLV announcement didn’t surprise them, and league officials remain “very committed and excited for the path ahead.”
Can the Frost go three-for-three in winning Professional Women’s Hockey League championships?
Coach Ken Klee and general manager Melissa Caruso took a calculated risk in the off-season, protecting veteran stars Coyne Schofield and Stecklein in the league’s exclusive signing period and losing young defenders Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques to Vancouver. The intent: Keeping team leadership in place in the quest for a third consecutive Walter Cup. Caruso later acquired veteran defender Sidney Morin from Boston to shore up the blue line.
Minnesota Frost forward Kendall Coyne Schofield celebrates with the Walter Cup after her team won the PWHL hockey finals against the Ottawa Charge, May 26, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. Credit: Ellen Schmidt/AP
Twice now, the Frost barely qualified for the playoffs and fought off elimination to win it all. That’s hard to do once, let alone twice. No matter where the Frost finish this time, never bet against a team with the dynamic Heise and two Olympic gold medal-winning goalies (Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney). The Frost are already the first Minnesota pro team in a major sport to win back-to-back titles since the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1950s.
When will the Timberwolves finally raise Kevin Garnett’s No. 21 to the rafters?
We know it’s supposed to happen on a date to be determined. But we also know things rarely go smoothly with the Timberwolves, and Garnett’s persnickety nature and longstanding animosity toward former owner Glen Taylor suggests there may be one more bit of drama before the big day finally arrives. Call it a hunch.
Is J.J. McCarthy the quarterback to finally lead the Vikings to a Super Bowl championship?
Heh. That might take a lot longer than one year to find out.
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