The Minnesota Lynx made a surprising run to the WNBA Finals last season, thanks in large part to their suffocating defense. They finished the regular season ranked second in defensive efficiency, allowing 94.8 points per 100 possessions. The Lynx couldn't get past the Liberty in an epic five-game WNBA Finals, but held the Liberty — the best offense in the league — 7.1 points per 100 possessions below their regular season average.
The Lynx are off to a 5-0 start in the 2025 season, but so far it's their offense that's been powering their success — specifically Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams.
Collier has already staked out pole position in the MVP race, averaging 26.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. She finished second in MVP voting to A'ja Wilson last year, and appears to have taken it personally — on track to break Wilson's scoring record set last season.
But Collier is truly thriving in concert with Williams — the Lynx's primary perimeter creator, who enjoyed a breakout season of her own last year at the age of 30.
Courtney Williams and Napheesa Collier have developed a rare synergy
Williams has already assisted Collier 18 times this season, an average of 3.6 times per game. She only assisted her 56 times in 31 games last year. As Collier chases the scoring title and potentially a historic record, 38 percent of her made baskets have come off a pass from Williams.
This is not a one-way connection, either. Collier has also recorded six assists to Williams in five games — that's an average of nearly five assists per game, flowing one direction or the other between this talented offensive duo. And it's one of the reasons the Lynx are averaging 112.0 points per 100 possessions when they're on the floor together.
Both players are exceptional individual scorers, with multiple tools in their offensive tool box. (Williams is averaging 14.8 points and 6.6 assists per game — the latter number is a career high). But it's also clear that, beginning their second season together, they're increasingly aware of each other's rhythm, favored spots and the way each exerts gravity on the defense.
Watch the way Collier begins running toward Williams from the corner here, as if to set a screen, before breaking off to cut baseline once her defender's head is a turned — a move that Williams is ready and waiting for.
Or the way Collier protects the ball here, to help Williams lose her defender on the hand-off for the wide open 3-pointer.
And it's worth mentioning that, while Williams and Collier are thriving, there is still plenty of upside for this offense. Kayla McBride — who finished second on the team in scoring last season and hit 40.7 percent beyond the arc — hasn't played yet this year. And Bridget Carleton and Karli Samuelson — who hit 44.4 and 39.8 percent of their 3-pointers last season, respectively — have started a combined 10-of-40 from beyond the arc. Those are very good shooters, missing a good number of open looks created by the gravity of Collier and Williams. And when McBride is healthy, the creation and spacing of this offense will hit another level.
The Lynx haven't played the toughest schedule yet, and two games in five days against the top-notch defense of the Phoenix Mercury will present a challenge they haven't faced yet. But this offense has all the pieces to be the best in the league this season, and so far their stars are doing everything they could ask for.