Nobody would question the dedication of the Minnesota Lynx, the standard-bearers of excellence in the WNBA this decade. To be sure, team personnel heavily discussed their prospects for the 2017 season at Monday’s media day event, and no one would blame them. After losing last year’s WNBA Finals by a single point, undoing that horror would prove highly cathartic.

However, no amount of disappointment can siphon Minnesota’s camaraderie. Following a full week of practice, the media day festivities at Mayo Clinic Square in Minneapolis offered a balance of introspective poise and cheerful irreverence.

Everyone listed on the Lynx roster was in attendance. All but two of them participated in interviews with the media. Four players will be cut before the season starts in order for the Lynx to meet the salary cap, but the stories they shared on Monday can offer everlasting inspiration.