To brush the Phoenix Mercury of their first-round playoff collection, the Minnesota Lynx will want an enormous effort from their solely Olympian, Nafessa Collier.
The sixth-year ahead from the College of Connecticut delivered.
Collier scored a career-high 38 factors in Sport 1 with a 7-point margin, then scored 42 factors in a decisive 13-point win in Sport 2 to eclipse her all-time report. Private finest. Collier is the primary participant in WNBA historical past to attain at the least 35 factors or extra in two consecutive playoff video games.
Give it some thought — WNBA historical past.
Collier did one thing spectacular that had by no means been executed earlier than. Not Cheryl Swoopes or Lisa Leslie. Not Diana Taurasi or Sue Fowl. Not Lauren Jackson or Cynthia Cooper.
Collier is in a league of his personal at this distinctive membership.
She scored 80 factors within the Bobcats’ win over the Mercury, marking the membership’s first playoff collection win because the 2020 return to play. She did this in an extremely environment friendly method, capturing 25-for-39 from the sphere for a 64% capturing share, whereas additionally capturing 25-for-28 from the free throw line and 5-for-8 from 3-point vary. In a complete of 77 minutes of taking part in time, she had solely 4 turnovers however dished out 8 assists.
Collier is taking part in the very best basketball of her profession.
The query is: Will or not it’s sufficient to guide the Bobcats to a WNBA championship?
Give it some thought, if A’ja Wilson did not exist, Collier may be the league MVP this season. Wilson received the award unanimously — and deservedly so — however Collier got here in second with 467 voting factors, properly forward of third-place Breanna Stewart’s 295 factors. Along with her insane scoring output over the Mercury, Collier is taken into account by many to be the highest defensive participant within the WNBA, as evidenced by the Related Press voting for her Defensive Participant of the Yr.
“I undoubtedly assume Fey deserves much more consideration than she’s getting,” Stewart, Collier’s teammate at UConn, instructed The Washington Publish. “Particularly this 12 months, she was on high from begin to end. Folks want to understand her recreation.
Along with averaging 20.4 factors per recreation (fifth within the WNBA), Collier is averaging profession highs in rebounds (9.7), assists (3.4) and blocks (1.4). Some consider the 6-foot-1 ahead from Missouri has a greater view of the sport than ever earlier than.
Again on the defensive finish, Collier ranked second within the WNBA in defensive win shares (2.9) and defensive ranking (89.2), each of which had been profession bests.
Underneath Collier, Minnesota went 30-10 within the common season, its finest profitable share since 27-7 in 2017. Wish to guess how that season ended for the Bobcats? They received the grand closing, their fourth title below Cheryl Reeve.
The Bobcats have been on the lookout for new faces on the group because the days of Maya Moore, Sylvia Falls, Simone Augustus and Rebecca Brunson ended. After they drafted Collier with the sixth choose within the draft in 2019, it wasn’t clear if Collier can be that particular person, however now it is clear that is what she is. This summer season, along with profitable a gold medal with Group USA coached by Reeve, Collier was named to his fourth All-Star group and locked up his second consecutive All-WNBA choice.
Collier has additionally led the Bobcats in capturing some exhausting our bodies. The Bobcats posted a 4-1 report within the Commissioner’s Cup earlier this season earlier than Collier scored 21 factors, had six assists and 6 rebounds to beat the New York Liberty 94-89 for the trophy. , and Collier was additionally named the midseason event winner.
“She’s like an amoeba,” Reeve stated of Collier. “In the event that they get her within the paint, then she’s going to search out herself within the paint. She will be able to display screen; she will roll. She is aware of how one can transfer, how one can be exterior, how one can shoot. She shoots the three very properly. She simply will get the ball rolling. Guidelines discover other ways to influence the sport.
The Liberty had been the highest seed within the WNBA playoffs, however counting the Commissioner’s Cup championship recreation, the Bobcats defeated them 3-1 within the common season. The Bobcats additionally defeated the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces 3-1.
It seems that the most important remaining impediment for Collier and the Bobcats is their semifinal opponent, the Connecticut Solar. The Bobcats went 1-2 in opposition to the Suns within the common season, however the margin of victory in these video games was 2.6 factors per recreation, and Collier performed simply 24 minutes in a July 4 loss to Connecticut.
With sturdy help from Collier and all-star Kayla McBride, plus Bridget Carlton, Alanna Smith, Courtney Williams and Mysha Hines-Ai Lun, the sky appears to be the restrict for the Bobcats. If they will beat the Suns within the semifinals, Reeve’s championship assortment seems more and more possible.
