NEW YORK – The WNBA announced today that Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride is the recipient of the 2026 Seasonlong WNBA Cares Community Assist Award in recognition of her dedication to youth empowerment, mental health advocacy, and building lasting connections with communities in Minneapolis.

Throughout the 2026 season, McBride championed youth empowerment and emotional well-being through mentorship, visits with pediatric patients, and back-to-school support. Central to those efforts is her partnership with Washburn Center for Children, where she has built relationships with children, families, and staff since 2024. By openly sharing her own mental health journey, McBride has helped reduce stigma and highlight the importance of early intervention and family-centered care.

“Minnesota has become home for me, and giving back to the people, families, and communities across this state is something I care deeply about,” McBride said. “The passion, support, and sense of connection that Minnesotans bring to every game inspires me to show up with that same commitment off the court. For me, community work is about showing up consistently and building relationships that go beyond a single event. The opportunity to connect with people across Minnesota, learn from their experiences, and support the work being done in our communities is something I never take for granted.”

Over the course of the 2026 season, McBride was deeply engaged with her community. In September alone, McBride mentored eight middle school girls from Girl Scouts and Hallie Q. Brown and Sabathani Community Centers, engaging in conversations and activities focused on confidence, friendship and self-expression; she visited pediatric patients and their families at Mayo Clinic Children’s, spending time far beyond the scheduled visit; and she hosted the Washburn Center for Children at a Lynx game. Earlier in the summer McBride went back-to-school shopping with a seventh-grade student in collaboration with Target to select $1,000 in school essentials; she welcomed a 12-year old from Special Olympics Minnesota to the Jr. Lynx Dream Team; and at the Lynx Changemakers Summit she shared lessons on leadership and perseverance, encouraging attendees to use their influence to uplift others and drive positive change beyond basketball.

Sherri Green, Director of Critical Services at Sabathani Community Center, added of McBride’s engagement in-person, “The young women had an absolute ball at Kayla’s event. One comment that stood out was that it felt ‘super intimate, like they were hanging out at home.’ That speaks volumes about the environment Kayla created. She made every participant feel comfortable, welcomed, and valued. Experiences like these go far beyond a single event. They create lasting memories, expand possibilities, and remind young people that they are seen, supported, and worth investing in. Kayla’s impact on our community is real, and it matters.”

As Lynx President of Business Operations Carley Knox reflected, “Community impact is not something she does, it is who she is.”

A designated committee of WNBA and NBA leadership selected McBride as the winner of the 2026 Seasonlong WNBA Cares Community Assist Award. In recognition of her commitment to the community, the WNBA will donate a total of $20,000, with $10,000 each going to two nonprofits selected by McBride: Play Your Way! MN, which provides athletic opportunities for kids, and Girl Scouts River Valleys, which helps girls grow through friendship, fun and fearless exploration.