Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx Look Like WNBA Title Contenders
The Minnesota Lynx are the hottest team in the WNBA. For a team that didn’t make the playoffs in 2022 and lost in the first round of last year’s postseason, the Lynx (22-8) look like title contenders. In June, they won the Commissioner’s Cup, the WNBA’s in-season tournament. They’re currently on a six-game winning streak and haven’t lost since returning from the Olympic break.
The Lynx served notice last week when they defeated the two-time defending-champion Las Vegas Aces twice. The Aces have been inconsistent since the Olympics, and Minnesota took advantage of that in both games. In Wednesday night’s game, when the Lynx won, 98-87, Minnesota shot an efficient 59.4% from the field, while the Aces only shot 46.5%.
Now sitting half a game out of second place and three games from the top seed in the league, the Lynx are serious contenders to reach the WNBA Finals in October. So, how did Minnesota go from being a lottery team two years ago to now competing for a championship?
The obvious answer is Napheesa Collier. While Collier was continuing to develop into a superstar prior to 2022, she took most of that season off after having a baby. She returned at the end of the 2022 season and the Lynx began to rebuild in 2023, following the retirement of eight-time All-Star Sylvia Fowles. Collier has been the Lynx’s best player, and now she’s having her best season yet.
https://athlonsports.com/wnba/napheesa-collier-and-the-minnesota-lynx-look-like-wnba-title-contenders