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Napheesa Collier was showered with recognition at the end of the 2024 WNBA season for her stellar play, including winning Defensive Player of the Year and coming in second for league MVP. However, that wasn't enough for the Minnesota Lynx superstar. Collier's mind remained on the brutal overtime loss to the New York Liberty in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals.
“Of course, I want to be the MVP. But I'm never going into a game like, ‘I need to get this many points and I need to get mine so I can get my MVP numbers,'” Collier confirmed in an interview with ESPN. “My No. 1 goal is a championship. I'd much rather get Finals MVP than league MVP because that means we won.”
Collier stayed vulnerable as she detailed what her process of mentally moving forward from the heartbreaking loss was like.
“[It's about] taking all of that anger and frustration and disappointment and turning it into, ‘We don't want to feel that way again,'” Collier said. “We have to make sure we are, individually, doing everything in the offseason to get better and then come back and have a different outcome.”
The 28-year-old also explained how she channeled her emotions into fuel to fire her up during the offseason she spent with the league she co-founded, Unrivaled.
“I wasn't focused on the WNBA. I was focused on Unrivaled, and I was focused on myself,” Collier admitted. “I was trying to focus on what's right in front of me. I feel like that's the only way to get through stuff. There is always so much going on, you can't focus on everything at once.”
Just thinking about how Napheesa Collier in her first ever Finals game had one of the greatest performances of all time on both sides of the ball 😮💨pic.twitter.com/vqvRXdu3lv
— naema (@naemaj11) November 24, 2024
Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve also noticed the shift within Collier, which she encouraged her team leader to bring back with her to Minnesota for the 2025 campaign.
“You can't escape the idea that there was fuel that came from not being able to complete the mission of a championship, and how [the loss] happened,” Reeve said. “Maybe that was the beginning of her saying, ‘No, I want to win this.'
“That was the switch for her,” Reeve explained. “She came into this season with a chip on her shoulder, appropriately backing up the words of, ‘Yeah, I'm a sore loser because I want to win.' She came in with that, and I was so giddy.”
Collier's taken Reeve's expert advice, and it's paid off so far for this year's leading MVP award candidate. She's averaging a career-high 23.2 points on 51.7% shooting, her highest rate since her second year in the W. Collier's adding 7.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game, showing that she's elevated her game to another level.
“Having an edge is a must,” Reeve said. “If you don't have an edge, you can't reach your greatest heights. Sometimes it's hard for Phee, but she does it in her own graceful way.”
As for the Lynx's 2025 championship aspirations, Collier's feelings have shifted quite a bit since the end of last season.
“I think pressure is a great thing,” Collier concluded. “You have to perform well under pressure, and I think I do that. This team is mine; if we win or lose, both will be my responsibility.
“I think it makes me a better player.”
The Lynx and Collier got their first taste of revenge with their 100-93 win over the Liberty on July 30. Minnesota and New York will face off three more times this regular season on August 10, 16, and 19.
