Behind-The-Scenes Video Explains How WNBA Powerhouse Keeps Its Players In Shape On The Road

The Minnesota Lynx will play 22 away games during the 2025 WNBA season. They spend half of their time at home and half of their time on the road.

That requires the strength and conditioning staff to get creative.

WNBA teams have to work get the work in. The grind does not stop because they do not have access to their own facilities. Everything has to remain the same. Quality work can happen anywhere!

Andrea ‘ATrain’ Hayden keeps things in check.

Hayden took over as the head athletic trainer for the Minnesota Lynx in 2024. She immediately helped to lead them to the Championship series in her first year. They are 21-4 through 25 games in year two.

Hayden’s primary goal is to prepare her players for the 40-minute grind of a game. There is a big difference between fitness and conditioning. You can be fit but not conditioned.

Fitness is most important during the preseason. Natisha Hiedeman got jacked.

@atrain_strength

@T-spoon locked & loaded. @studbudz #WNBA #sportsperformance #hoopersoftiktok #basketballtiktok #arms

♬ Hard Beat Work’s – Type Beats Trap

Once the season gets underway, Andrea Hayden turns her focus to game day. Lynx players lift hard and run fast when they have time to recover but consistency and body maintenance is key.

Each and every exercise is intentional. The focus, especially during postgame lifts, is on long eccentric, isometric, full-range movements. It is more about activation and muscle retention than growth.

Working on the road requires creativity.

Minnesota does not stray from its routine during the regular season. Nothing changes on the road in terms of the strength and conditioning program.

However, the Lynx must substitute its home facilities for whatever space it can get. Hayden does not change how she trains. Just where. Location does not define effort.

@atrain_strength

Champions aren’t built in convenience-they’re built in commitment, consistency, and adaptability. When the set up isn’t ideal, the standard doesn’t drop. When focus on the principles that drive performance : ✔️intent over environment ✔️load, movement quality, recovery ✔️adaptation through consistency This is what real training looks like in the W. #wnba #sportsperformance #hoopersoftiktok #basketballtiktok #strengthandconditioning #gameday #hoopers

♬ GO! – Instrumental – Common

I am not sure I have ever thought about this kind of thing. How do professional sports teams stay consistent with their training while on the road? Especially for a league like the WNBA, where resources and financial pools are not quite as deep. Thanks to Andrea Hayden, we got a behind-the-scenes look!