Lynx set to sign French Olympic team center Marième Badiane and re-sign Natisha Hiedeman

The Lynx are expected to announce the return of backup guard Natisha Hiedeman and the addition of French center Marième Badiane when the WNBA’s official signing period begins Saturday, according to a league source.

The moves bring back one of the Lynx’s most important reserve players and adds a veteran center who was part of the French team that pushed Team USA to the limit before losing 67-66 in the Olympic gold medal game in Paris last summer. The U.S. team was led by Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.

These are not necessarily the final moves the team will make in the official free agency period, but both are important for a team that, coming off a 30-10 season and a trip to the WNBA Finals, wants to keep pace in the league.

Hiedeman, who will turn 28 on Feb. 10, was an invaluable backup to Courtney Williams at point guard, adding quickness and strong defense on the perimeter with the ability to drive and score at the rim as well as hit shots from behind the arc. Hiedeman appeared in all 40 games, averaging 4.9 points and 2.4 assists in 15.2 minutes per game. In 12 postseason games she averaged 5.7 points and 2.3 assists wile shooting nearly 46 percent from the field.

Badiane, 30, is a veteran of both EuroLeague play and the French national team and should be a strong backup to starting center Alanna Smith. Badiane is currently playing for EuroLeague powerhouse Fenerbahçe in Istanbul, Turkey, where she is averaging 5.6 points and 4.3 rebounds for a team that includes Emma Meeseman, Tina Charles, Ariel Atkins and Gabby Williams.

Smith was a WNBA all-defensive team player, but can run the floor and shoot threes. She played big minutes in the playoffs against taller and heavier centers, and Badiane will provide more typical play in the middle.

The 6-foot-3 Badiane scored eight points with six rebounds and three assists vs. Team USA in the gold medal game. She averaged 7.2 points and 5.7 rebounds for France in the Olympic tournament.