The Minnesota Lynx won four WNBA championships from 2011-17. Will Napheesa Collier lead them to another this season?

Boston Globe

6 days ago

The Lynx pictured Collier being next in a long lineage.
'Knowing that the team was being passed to me in a way that they had kind of primed me for that leadership,' Collier said, 'that just brings a different mind-set where you have to be more aggressive.'
In seven seasons, she's done nothing but prove the Lynx right.
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Collier is a five-time All-Star (
NAPHEESA COLLIIIIER 🔥🔥
36 PTS. 9 REB. NEW SCORING RECORD.
And your
— WNBA (@WNBA)
On top of that, as vice president of the Women's National Basketball Players Association, Collier has been instrumental in the players' push for a larger share of revenue in an era of growth and expansion. And she's doing that while also being a co-founder of
'She's gone from 2019, the rookie learning how to lead, to look where she is now,' Lynx coach
Cheryl Reeve
said. 'Being an entrepreneur with Unrivaled really elevated her, being a part of the [WNBPA] executive committee, representing the entire league as part of a group that is trying to bring the league forward. She has grown so much.'
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The Lynx have made the playoffs in all but one of Collier's seven seasons. (She missed much of the 2022 season while on maternity leave).
But that was never the ceiling.
'I think there's been high expectations since I got here,' Collier said at All-Star weekend. 'Even in our 'rebuilding years,' we still had four championships, so there was like residual vengeance from other teams where now they feel like they could beat up on us.'
That didn't last long. The Lynx won the Commissioner's Cup last season, then marched to the WNBA Finals, coming within a win of what would have been a record fifth title.
This season, they've been a machine, a league-best 20-4. They have the league's best net rating (plus-12.4), and they're dangerous from essentially everywhere on the floor (67.9 percent shooting in the paint, 41.6 from midrange, and 35.1 percent on 3-pointers, all second in the league).
Collier is putting together another season worthy of MVP consideration, averaging 23.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, scoring from all three levels, while being a top-10 rebounder and top-five rim protector (1.6 blocks per game).
'She is so graceful, no matter what the movement is,' Reeve said. 'Even when she's trash talking. It's very graceful when you look at it. I don't have that in just a half of my pinkie, the level of grace that she has.'
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And with the Lynx hunting another title — their first in the Collier era — nothing has changed, including the expectations.
'I feel like we're back more in that top-dog spot,' Collier said. 'I don't really feel like that ever went away. So it feels natural to the Lynx, and I think they always embrace it. When there's a target on your back, it means you're good and people want to be where you are. So, that's a good place to be.'
Appointment viewing
Atlanta Dream at Las Vegas Aces, Tuesday, 10 p.m.:
The Aces, hanging on to the eighth spot in the standings, are trying to shake off an underwhelming first half. They get a chance to make up some ground against the Dream, who are two games ahead in the standings.
Phoenix Mercury at New York Liberty, Friday, 7:30 p.m.:
Expect a shootout between the top two 3-point-shooting teams in the league. Both teams average 10 threes per game.
Seattle Storm at Washington Mystics, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.:
Earlier this month, the Storm blew a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead to the Mystics. Now that Mystics rookies Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron are All-Stars, it's hard to imagine they'll sneak up on anyone in the second half.
Julian Benbow can be reached at