Lynx forward caps record-equalling season
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has made it clear where she stands on the WNBA MVP debate. After watching forward Napheesa Collier cap off her season with another commanding performance, Reeve said her star deserves the league’s top individual honor.
Napheesa Collier became just the second player in WNBA history to finish a regular season with the rare 50-40-90 shooting split. She joined elite company in Thursday’s 72-53 win over the Golden State Valkyries in Minneapolis. Elena Delle Donne first achieved the feat in 2019.
Collier shot 53% from the field, 40.3% from beyond the arc and 91% from the free throw line. Unlike anyone before her, she combined that efficiency with volume, averaging 22.9 points per game.
Speaking after the victory against the Valkyries, Reeve underlined the significance of Napheesa Collier’s season-long consistency.
“It’s only been done once before and that player was the MVP,” she said. “Phee deserves that recognition. The numbers don’t lie. She did it from start to finish, 50-40-90 is historic. I don’t know how long it will be before it happens again. Napheesa Collier has been the best player in the WNBA. She deserves MVP.”
The Lynx closed the regular season with the league’s best record, clinching the No. 1 overall seed. Their first-round opponent will again be the Valkyries, a team they swept 4-0 across the season. The series will follow the best-of-three format.
Minnesota’s 72-53 win on Thursday added further momentum, with Collier once again at the center of the performance. The Lynx now head into the playoffs as heavy favorites, leaning on the form of the player their coach insists is the league’s most valuable.
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