In Naphessa Collier’s first full season as the undoubted face of the franchise, she is already showing that she is more than up to the task. So what does Collier bring to the table? Luckily, a little bit of everything. 

Defense

A former college Defensive Player of the Year for the AAC and All-Defensive second-teamer, Collier truly brings it on both ends of the floor. She can capably stay in front of wings and bigs. Up for any challenge, there is no one that Phee is afraid to pester. For instance, she is willing to go right at Brittney Griner, take the rebound from her, and wall her off to get the ball to a teammate.

Against the best team in the league, she is regularly tasked with guarding the reigning MVP. That does not mean she will not switch. Here, for example, she swings from the Wilson to a driving Candace Parker. The result does not go CP’s way. 

She is a disruptor. Collier finished in the top five in steals in both of her first two seasons and is currently in the top 10 again. Add in two top 10 blocks per game seasons as well, and Collier has the statistical resume to complement the eye test. And trust that the eye test shows the disruption even more. 

As the young team is coalescing around their star, this defensive mentality is essential. Collier embodies the hard work that has helped the Minnesota Lynx return to .500 this season after starting 0-6. Three of their top six minutes loggers have less than three years of experience, including rookies Dorka Juhasz and Diamond Miller. They are still far from a passable defensive team, but Collier does everything she can to change that nightly. 

Attacking and Scoring

Collier does not just bring the intensity to the defensive end of the floor. It should come as no surprise that Phee is currently fourth in the league in scoring. She is a relentless force. Being able to hang with the point totals of Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, and Arike Ogunbowale while not being a 3-point shooter (30.8 percent on 3.8 attempts per game) is a testament to this. 

Getting into the lane is the bread and butter of Napheesa Collier’s bag. She has a solid post up game, as evidenced below. Here she backs down A’ja Wilson, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, before fading away for the bucket. 

Even better, contact is not something that is going to slow her down. Beyond that, Collier often feels like she seeks it out. Currently fifth in the league in free throw attempts, Phee creates extra opportunities to benefit her team. 

It is not always about scoring though. Minnesota likes to move the ball around to find the right opportunity to strike. Phee is a major part of that, though her assist numbers do not necessarily reflect it. With so much ball movement the extra kick pass tends to devalue exactly what her impact is, but Napheesa Collier is indisputable. 

Cementing the Future

All of this builds to the most important aspect of Collier continuing to ascend with an additional focus on her. As mentioned before, this was a big draft for the Lynx. Diamond Miller looks to be a star in the making. While Aliyah Boston has likely sewn up Rookie of the Year, Miller has been doing her best to make that interesting. Dorka Juhasz continues to get more and more comfortable. 

In the five games since the All-Star break, Juhasz has averaged 10 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. Jessica Shepard is in her fourth season and recently returned to the lineup. If this is the young core of the future around Phee, the close to this season is essential. 

Luckily Collier is more than up to the task. She is a born leader and is ready to help make this team the best that it can be. This may be the most important lesson Fowles was able to teach. Being a star is not just about making yourself great and putting up gaudy numbers. Yes, Fowles’ stats are memorable. But even more so was her status as an unparalleled teammate. 

That is the culture of the Minnesota Lynx. Those great names all knew that. They lived for it. Napheesa Collier carries herself in much the same way. It will not be long before she leads the Lynx back to the top of the league.

The post Napheesa Collier: Leader of the Pack appeared first on Swish Theory.

To build up, I will be going in reverse order from the standings a season ago. Now is when the true fun begins. Optimism was the theme last week. For this week, the sun has finally set on the last remnant of a waning dynasty. 

2022 Recap

The Minnesota Lynx have had an aura of a contender for a long time. As one of the few franchises with multiple titles, they have earned that reputation. But last season felt like the final fumes. Part of this was the last ride for Sylvia Fowles. A league legend, Fowles was still great into her final season, averaging 14.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game. Leading the league in rebounds in her final season was a great exclamation point on a great career. 

Beyond that, the season was mostly a miss. Losing out on star forward Napheesa Collier for all but four games doomed most hopes from the jump. Dropping the first four games of the season (including at the Indiana Fever) certainly did not help. Angel McCoughtry, the prized off-season acquisition, played only two games before an agreed-upon contract buyout.

The rest of the roster was fine, if uninspiring. Kayla McBride was a solid floor spacer, though her efficiency dropped by more than five full points (effective field goal percentage 52.6 to 47.5). Moriah Jefferson came in as a reclamation project and helped get the team back on track after their brutal start. Jefferson posted her best numbers since her rookie season, averaging 10.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting a blistering 47.4 percent from distance. 

All this said, perhaps the most important long-term positive to take away from the season was Aerial Powers getting on track in her second season with the team.  If they are going to remain a playoff hopeful, this will have to continue. 

The Power(s) Move

For the first time since 2019, Aerial Powers was able to log a full season. In the bubble with the Mystics, Powers looked like she was about to take a star turn. She was a starter for the first time with Elena Delle Donne unable to play and quickly made the most of it. Then came an injury and her season was cut short after six games. Her first season in Minnesota was similarly hampered, ending after 14 games. 

The summer of 2022 was something different. Powers set new career highs in scoring twice with eight games with more than 20 points, specifically two over 30 points. As Fowles had learned to defer to a wing scorer from playing with Collier in recent seasons, Powers did her best to replicate that role. The results were impressive: 14.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Removing the six bubble games, these are career highs for a season for Powers. 

This level of growth is essential. As the Lynx look to rebuild without their last ring-winning Hall of Famer (aside of coach/GM Cheryl Reeve, of course), the current vets in place all need to be better. McBride has been an All-Star three times before. Phee has made it twice. Powers, however, looks like the most likely to make it alongside Collier this season.

Offseason Overview

Out: Sylvia Fowles, Moriah Jefferson

In: Tiffany Mitchell, Kiana Williams, Stephanie Watts

2023 Draft: #2, #12, #16, #24, #28

Re-Signed: Bridget Carleton, Nikolina Milic, Damiris Dantas, Rachel Banham

While only losing two players from a team that missed the playoffs may not be much for some teams, for the Lynx this is troublesome. Sylvia Fowles was arguably the best center in the league last year and leaves an enormous hole in the lineup. Moriah Jefferson was not, in my mind, adequately replaced and the team will rely on their wings more than most to shoulder the playmaking duties. 

That being said, the addition of Tiffany Mitchell should not be scoffed at. After seven seasons with the Indiana Fever, Mitchell found her role in the rotation dwindling. With so many young mouths to feed her minutes were put on a squeeze. The result was only her having her best shooting season on notably decreased volume. If she is able to carry that efficiency over a larger sample size she could revolutionize this lineup. 

The number two pick in the draft, however, is the most important decision the franchise will make this offseason. Minnesota did not have a first last year and the year prior they selected Rennia Davis, who got injured and ended up playing one game for the franchise last year. Ideally, the vision from the 2020 draft will return that saw them snag Rookie of the Year Crystal Dangerfield in the second round. Whether it be Haley Jones, Diamond Miller, Jordan Horston, or Maddy Siegrist, this could be a true turning point. 

Prediction

Ultimately, this season will likely look much like last season in terms of the standings. Napheesa Collier should be appointment television now that she is back, but the league is deeper than the last time she played a full season. If they are able to get an immediate contributor with the second pick they may be able to push past the other teams taking a step back. 

Collier and Powers provide more punch than the likes of Indiana and Seattle. But the Sparks and Dream, as I have discussed in past weeks, should be better than they were a season ago. Minnesota is in for a long summer.

The post Minnesota Lynx: 2023 Season Preview appeared first on Swish Theory.