MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — After Napheesa Collier carried the Minnesota Lynx to victory with 38 points in their opener in the WNBA playoffs, coach Cheryl Reeve implored Collier's teammates to bring even more intensity for the second game of the series.
“I told the team before the game: ‘Look, Phee’s not going to get 38 tonight,'” Reeve said, reflecting later on the first-round sweep of Phoenix.
As Collier was subbed out with that win in Game 2 in hand, the four-time All-Star and favorite for the Defensive Player of the Year award needled Reeve about that pregame warning by reminding her coach that, technically, she was right.
Collier topped herself with 42 points on Wednesday, helping the Lynx hit the 100-point mark for the second straight game and setting an all-time league record with 80 points in two consecutive postseason games. She tied Breanna Stewart and Angel McCoughtry for the WNBA single playoff game scoring record.
“She’s insane. Y’all have been watching? She’s been going crazy. She’s making history, man,” Lynx point guard Courtney Williams said. “I'm just excited I can be a part of it, man. I'm here to help her, and whatever she needs we're here to do it.”
When Minnesota hosts Connecticut on Sunday night at Target Center in Game 1 of the best-of-five semifinals, Collier will of course be the driving force for this new-era Lynx squad that's looking to bring the franchise a fifth title. The Sun have never won a championship.
“Phee just has the ability to each game know what it is she’s going to get and how she’s going to get it. She’s like an amoeba,” Reeve said. “If they’re going to let her be in the paint, then she’s going to find herself in the paint, she’s going to screen, she’s going to roll. If the paint’s going to be more difficult, she understands how she’s going to play in movement and by shooting the ‘3’ well.”
Collier was a starter for Team USA's gold medal team at the Paris Olympics, but not the go-to star. She was one of only five players in the league who averaged 20-plus points per game this season, but she can be sometimes overlooked by not being on one of the league's most-hyped super teams.
Perhaps that's because Collier doesn't seek more of the spotlight.
“I'm just playing for my team and trying to win a game,” said Collier, who's in her sixth year with the Lynx. “I'm trying to take advantage of what the other team is giving me.”
Breaking records?
“That stuff is really cool, but if you're not winning it doesn't matter,” Collier said. “That stuff just comes from really great teammates.”
Reeve and the Lynx had to start over after the run to championships in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 with the previous core led by Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen. They took a step by making the playoffs last year, losing to the Sun in three games.
“This team’s different,” Reeve said. “We’re a far better offensive team than last year’s team. I go back sometimes and watch that and go, ‘How? How were we 40 minutes from being in the semifinals?’”
Four-time All-Star Kayla McBride is a proven offensive threat who complements Collier well. Bridget Carleton has given the Lynx a legitimate outside shooting threat. Late-blooming center Alanna Smith had a breakout season after arriving as a free agent. Williams, another newcomer, provided a veteran presence as the primary ball distributor and helped the Lynx lead the league in assists.
They'll have to keep up the crisp ball movement that fueled the sweep of the Mercury to continue to have success against the Sun, who were the WNBA's best defensive team this season. The Lynx were second.
The homecourt advantage in the series is with Minnesota, thanks to a 30-foot 3-pointer Carleton made with 3.4 seconds left in a 78-76 victory at Connecticut on Sept. 17 that clinched the second seed. Reeve predicted a “knockdown, drag-out" series with much less room to operate for Collier and her primary scorers, unlike against defense-challenged Phoenix.
The Sun have a defense-first identity, but they're a balanced team that got deeper by the midseason addition of Marina Mabrey to complement postseason master Alyssa Thomas. Mabrey started for the injured Tyasha Harris in the Game 2 victory over Indiana that completed a first-round sweep of Caitlin Clark and the Fever.
“We knew she was going to be a difference-maker for us,” Thomas said. “That's part of the reason why we went out and got her. She’s a different guard for us that can create and is not scared of the moment.”
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AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed from Uncasville, Conn.
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