Napheesa Collier

This season, Napheesa Collier has been playing the best basketball of her career and it’s helped bring the Minnesota Lynx back to championship contention.. Collier uses her versatility to impact both ends of the court, which is a significant trademark of her game. Her stamina, and relentless aggressiveness helped her win Defensive Player of the Year. She doesn't come off the floor very much for the Lynx and has an average of 2.58 miles on the court according to Second Spectrum, and is the most of any player this season. On offense she averages about 1.42 miles traveled per game which is second-most of anyone in the league; her activity during possessions is outstanding as she is constantly on the move which makes her so difficult to guard off the ball. Collier’s “old-school” playstyle where she puts defense first and is moving constantly on offense off the ball is working majorly in her favor as she just keeps getting better and better.

Collier averaged 20.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks per game this season, finding her way into the top 20 in the league across all categories. It’s no surprise then that she won Defensive Player of the Year and finished second in WNBA MVP voting. In the postseason, she became the first player in WNBA history to finish with 38 points, six rebounds, four assists and a block in a playoff game. Then in Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs, she put up a phenomenal 42-point game to guide the Lynx to the semifinals. She hasn’t let up a bit and is the central reason the Lynx were able to make it back to the WNBA Finals.

Collier should be on everyone's MVP watch list for the 2025 season. Last offseason she focused on expanding her game, emphasizing the midrange and improving her efficiency from 3-point range. The Unrivaled Basketball League she built with Breanna Stewart is set to launch in January 2025 so it will be a different offseason for Collier, competing against the biggest stars in the WNBA over the winter giving her a chance to start next season ready for even greater things.