Maya Moore. Sylvia Fowles. Rebekah Brunson. Seimone Augustus. Lindsay Whalen. Katie Smith. The Minnesota Lynx have had no shortage of great players don the navy, green and gray. Crowning the heir apparent is always the goal for a franchise accustomed to excellence. Luckily, Napheesa Collier got to learn from the best. Sure, Fowles only played seven games in the Wubble and Collier only took the court four times in Syl’s final season. But the seeds were sown.
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.
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