Minnesota Lynx star and WNBA MVP favorite Napheesa Collier returned to action in style on Sunday with 32 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 97-84 win over the Indiana Fever. Collier had been out since Aug. 2 due to a sprained right ankle.
Collier looked a bit rusty early on, but once she found her groove the Fever had no answer for her. She made 11 of her 16 field goal attempts and got to the line for nine free throws. The Lynx won her 31 minutes by 24 points and lost the nine minutes she sat by 11.
Collier’s injury, which occurred during the Lynx’s historic 53-point win over the Las Vegas Aces earlier this month, stirred controversy because it happened late in the third quarter with her team up by 43 points. Many wondered why Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve still had her superstar in the game.
“I don’t think about those things,” Reeve said at the time. “It’s the third quarter of a game on someone else’s floor, I don’t think the game is over. I don’t think like that. She had a sub there and she wasn’t gonna play in the fourth quarter. Sometimes these things happen. I get it, people are gonna rail on me, and that’s part of sitting in the seat that I’m sitting in. But we did what we think is right, and sometimes these things happen.”
Luckily for the Lynx, Collier avoided a major injury, and because of a schedule quirk they had a full six days off while she was sidelined. Collier was on the mend for just over three weeks, but only missed seven games during that time. The Lynx went 5-2 without Collier, and despite suffering back-to-back losses this week for the first time all season, they are now six games up on the Atlanta Dream in the race for the No. 1 seed.
The Lynx were the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season and will soon officially clinch the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. From a results perspective, the only real storyline left for the Lynx is whether they’ll break the 2023 Las Vegas Aces’ single-season wins record of 34. They need five more wins to do so, though they have an extra four games this season with the expanded schedule.
On an individual level, Collier’s return is a major storyline in the MVP race. She was cruising to her first MVP before going down, and in the meantime A’ja Wilson has gained significant ground. Wilson has led the Aces on a 10-game winning streak with a series of 30-point games, and has her team within striking distance of the No. 2 seed. Still, Collier is the betting favorite and jumped to -400 at FanDuel Sportsbook after her big game on Sunday. Wilson is now at +280.
For the season, Collier is averaging a league-leading 23.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks. After a strong return to action, Collier still has a very good chance to win her first MVP and scoring title.
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