Napheesa Collier made a strong return to the court on Sunday night, resuming her MVP campaign after recovering from a sprained ankle that kept her out for three weeks. Her impact was immediate, scoring 32 points on an impressive 11 of 16 from the field and grabbing nine rebounds in the Minnesota Lynx’s 97-84 victory over the Indiana Fever.
Collier, joking, mentioned that her teammate Courtney Williams would have finished with 11 assists if she hadn’t missed her first shots. “It feels like you’re out when you’re not playing. I had a lot of FOMO, so it feels good to be back on the court with them.”I had to remove some rust.
Napheesa Collier
Collier’s injury occurred in the third quarter of the Lynx’s game against the Las Vegas Aces on August 2. Test results indicated that she avoided a serious injury, which kept her out for seven games. During that period, Minnesota had a 5-2 record without Collier. The fans celebrated Collier’s return to the starting lineup, and his team was also enthusiastic. Collier played a total of 31 minutes.I told Collier before the game, I’m tired of shooting 18, 20 shots. I’m ready to go back to 10 or 12. So it feels good to have Phee back.
Courtney Williams
Reeve added that Collier’s presence makes the game easier for everyone else, allowing the team to adjust to their roles and strategies. Since Collier’s absence, the Lynx have added three players to their roster, including the signing of DiJonai Carrington at the trade deadline. With Collier back and in top form, Williams described the Minnesota team as “a real problem” heading into the postseason. The Lynx, who were down by as much as 10 points in the first quarter, gradually managed to come back. In the last two minutes of the second quarter, the team went on an 11-0 run that allowed them to regain the lead. With 77 seconds remaining in the first half, Collier scored a jump shot, adding his 13th and 14th points of the night, giving Minnesota its first lead since the first 20 seconds of the game. Returning from the break, the Lynx maintained their pace.It’s that good.
Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota coach
With only seven games remaining in the regular season, the Lynx (30-7) lead the WNBA and have a six-game lead over the Atlanta Dream in the standings. In addition, they are the only team that has secured their place in the playoffs.It all came from being more active defensively, that’s how we got going. We had more fluidity… in the second quarter, we felt that change. We felt that change in how we were playing, and I felt we maintained it for most of the rest of the game.
Cheryl Reeve
