Amid high-profile teams, there is no counting out the Minnesota Lynx. Even when Napheesa Collier was out with a knee injury, the Lynx kept on surging. 

They managed to scrape by the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday with a 74-71 win. A late-game shot by Natisha Hiedeman kept the Lynx in the company of history. 

They are off to their best start of the season at 8-0 after defeating the Phoenix Mercury 88-65 on Monday. The Lynx are one of eight teams in WNBA history to start 8-0, per

Alexa Philippou of ESPN. 

All eight of those teams ended up winning the championship. Ironically enough, the Lynx has four of those 8-0 starts. The three other times were in 2012, 2016, and 2017.

In '12 and '16, the Lynx made it to the WNBA Finals but lost. In '17, they won the title. The four other teams to start the season 8-0 were the Mercury, Houston Comets, New York Liberty, and Los Angeles Sparks. 

This year, the WNBA's focus has been on three other teams. The defending champion New York Liberty. The Caitlin Clark led Indiana Fever—the veteran-laden Las Vegas Aces. 

But the Lynx possesses something unique.

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The Lynx are a team to beat. 

Collier is, without question, the face of the Lynx. Her offensive prowess, combined with her defensive excellence, makes her a standout talent. 

She is averaging 26.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game thus far. In terms of defense, Minnesota leads the league with a 94.2% rating for their ability to hold their opponents to low point percentages. 

The Lynx are also a very unselfish team. They can space the floor, move the ball around with relative ease, and create open looks for their tandem shooters. 

Players such as Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, and Alanna Smith are known for their offensive dominance in terms of ball handling and scoring. Long-time coach Cheryl Reeve also facilitates strong chemistry. 

For all the talk about other teams, it would be a mistake to mistake Minnesota as a real contender.