BROOKLYN — Napheesa Collier doesn’t care an excessive amount of in regards to the nationwide highlight. In a 12 months that started with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s rookie debuts, and was punctuated by A’ja Wilson’s unanimous MVP award, her excellence was typically put to the wayside.
However, Collier’s on-court excellence spoke for itself. She averaged 20.4 factors, 9.7 rebounds, and three.4 assists this season, main the Minnesota Lynx to the league’s second-best report. She earned Defensive Participant of the 12 months honors for the first-time in her profession, a aim that head coach Cheryl Reeve had set for her forward of the season.
Now, the MVP runner-up — who additionally doubles because the mom of a two-year previous woman named Mila — has helped spearhead the Lynx’s run to the WNBA Finals.
What’s impressed her teammates and coaches most isn’t her two-way on-court excellence, nor her postseason scoring explosion (Collier is averaging 27.1 factors per recreation this postseason — probably the most a WNBA participant has averaged coming into the Finals since Maya Moore in 2015).
What’s stood out, at the beginning, is her consistency as a frontrunner. No matter what she’s going by means of on a private degree — as a mom, as an individual — Collier at all times makes certain to point out up for her teammates, precisely the identical manner each day.
“What you see from her immediately, whether or not she’s drained, whether or not Mila saved her up all night time — no matter it’s, she’s the identical,” Reeve stated. “If you take a look at her she offers you power on daily basis.”
“She’s only a mannequin of consistency, and I don’t know if individuals perceive that. If you consider it in your individual lives, in your individual line of labor, there’s folks that don’t come that manner constantly, and the way it can influence [the people around them].”
That poise, that consistency, has rubbed off on her Lynx teammates.
“When your greatest participant goes to be all these issues you must comply with,” Reeve stated.
Courtney Williams has performed with a myriad of stars in her 8-year WNBA profession. However, she hasn’t seen shared a locker room with anybody fairly like Collier. What’s stood out most to Williams is her humility.
“She’s simply totally different, like the way in which she strikes — you’ll suppose she was a task participant, and that’s uncommon, as a result of she’s a bonafide celebrity, what I’m saying?” Williams advised SB Nation. “She’s so humble, she’s so coachable, and like Cheryl stated, she exhibits up on daily basis the identical manner, and that’s arduous to seek out.”
In flip, Williams and her teammates are comfy accepting any suggestions or criticism — comfy being held accountable by the teaching employees and each other.
“She units the tone for everyone, as a result of it’s like, in case your greatest participant may be coachable, who’re you to not be coachable?” Williams stated. “You understand what I’m saying?”
For Collier, it’s not fairly so simple as every part at all times feeling excellent. However, she makes an effort to not let something off the court docket intrude along with her position because the chief of one of the embellished franchises within the WNBA.
“After all I’ve unhealthy days — everyone does. However, I attempt to conceal it from the crew, are available in and be skilled, clearly, and be there for my crew,” Collier advised SB Nation. “It doesn’t matter, on the finish of the day, in the event you’re having a foul day: it is best to present up and do your job, I believe.”
This Finals run is further distinctive as a result of it options two former teammates and enterprise companions going through off towards each other. Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier shared the court docket on the College of Connecticut, after which opted to collectively launch Unmatched Basketball League, a brand new 3×3 skilled basketball league for gamers through the offseason.
Stewart remembers assembly Collier and perceiving her as a prolonged freshman who wasn’t fairly certain what to do.
“It’s like once you get to high school, you’re like, ‘Effectively, what am I doing? What’s the system? How does this work?’ To see her type of go like that to the place she is now – simply the expansion and the maturity – is one thing that by no means ceases to amaze me, as a result of she was my freshman,” Stewart stated.
Collier was drafted No. 6 by the Lynx in 2019, and was stellar from the bounce, awarded Rookie of the 12 months in her first season. She’s been an All-Star yearly she’s been within the league, and she or he’s received two Olympic gold medals.
Her coach needs to see her get extra credit score.
“I say this on a regular basis: I believe she’s one of the marketable individuals in sports activities — overlook WNBA — in sports activities,” Reeve stated. “All that she is, all that she has been, an exquisite household — each manner, she represents.”
“I do know if I’m a fortune 500 firm, I’d be throughout her.”
Collier doesn’t play in as sturdy a media market as New York or Las Vegas. She’s not tremendous lively on social media, and she or he doesn’t typically self-advocate — as is true for a lot of of her teammates. Her and the the Lynx are used to being ignored, and that was evidenced by ESPN’s preseason energy rankings placing them ninth heading into the season.
After a Sport 3 semifinals victory towards the Connecticut Solar, Courtney Williams and Napheesa Collier had been requested about whether or not there’s been a chip on their shoulders.
Courtney Williams and Napheesa Collier requested about being underestimated and ignored this season:
Courtney: “The chip has been there. That they had us ninth at first of the season, in order that chip by no means went away.”
Napheesa: “We all know we have now one thing particular right here.” pic.twitter.com/xPuAfjEZTQ
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) October 5, 2024
“The chip has been there. That they had us ninth at first of the season, in order that chip by no means went away,” Williams stated. “We don’t actually care, we block out the noise. We all know what we will do, we’ve been understanding what we will do.”
“It’s type of good at this level,” Collier stated. “You retain underestimating us, and we maintain doing what we’re doing. We are available in and hit groups within the face as a result of they’ve the identical mindset. We proved who we’re all season, and we have now a lot perception in ourselves. We all know what we’re able to, and that’s what we’re making an attempt to exit and present each night time. It doesn’t actually matter what different individuals are saying or believing, it simply issues what this core crew is feeling, and we all know we have now one thing particular right here.”
Within the WNBA Finals, the Minnesota Lynx will present what they’re succesful on the brightest stage in basketball. And, on the similar time, Collier will get the chance to point out the world she’s as elite a participant as they got here.
Her head coach can’t wait.
“Folks at all times type of go, ‘she’s good, however she’s not fairly A’ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart.’ That’s what everyone thinks, proper?” Reeve stated. “However she’s coming. She’s working arduous to vary that narrative. She doesn’t actually care what individuals suppose — I do.”
