Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier sustained a left foot injury during Thursday night's 78-73 loss to the Connecticut Sun. The injury occurred with 2 minutes and 36 seconds remaining in the third quarter, forcing Collier to leave the game and not return.
Collier, who is having an outstanding season, was named MVP of the Commissioner's Cup final won by the Lynx on June 25. She was also selected for her second 5-on-5 Olympic team for the United States earlier in June. Lynx and U.S. women's national team coach Cheryl Reeve did not have an immediate update on Collier's condition or on reserve guard Olivia Epoupa, who suffered a thigh injury during the same game.
Collier left the game with nine points, ending her streak of 29 consecutive games scoring in double figures, a run that dated back to last season. Alyssa Thomas of the Sun, another 5-on-5 U.S. Olympian, recorded a triple-double with 13 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds, leading Connecticut to their 16th win of the season against just four losses.
The Lynx, now at 14-6, have lost two games in a row for the first time this season. Their previous loss was a 76-67 defeat to the New York Liberty on Tuesday.
“I told (the players) the last two games, it's not that we're playing bad, just not well enough to win the game,” Reeve said, per Michael Voepel of ESPN. “Like any team losing their MVP candidate, it's a little harder, but that's sometimes what it is. We try to focus on what we do have.”
Lynx sporadic in loss to Sun
Reeve said that the team experimented with different strategies after Collier's exit.
“We went small, tried different things to see if we could find an advantage,” Reeve said.
“I still think, with Phee on the floor or not on the floor, we've got to be able to handle the basketball and be aggressive on the perimeter,” she added. “When you play Connecticut, you have to be physically and mentally tough, and we were sporadic in those.”
Collier, the 2019 Rookie of the Year as the No. 6 draft pick from UConn, is in her fifth full WNBA season. She also played four games at the end of the 2022 season after returning from maternity leave. Collier was on the all-WNBA first team last season and is averaging 20.0 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists this year.
The Lynx have five games remaining before the break for the July 20 WNBA All-Star Game, where Collier is scheduled to play for Team USA against Team WNBA. Following the All-Star Game, the Paris Olympics begin on July 26.
Follow Us
Subscribe
