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While there was some hope that Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier would compete in Saturday afternoon's face-off with the New York Liberty, she was was ruled out due to her lingering ankle injury, via the team's X account. The disappointed fans inside the Target Center will have to wait to witness the MVP favorite's anticipated return.
Obviously, though, the Lynx's main priority is making sure their top player is healthy for the playoffs. She sustained an ankle sprain in the squad's Aug. 2 dismantlement of the Las Vegas Aces and has now missed the last four games. Collier still has more than three weeks left to regain full force before the postseason begins and Minnesota's championship pursuit ramps up.
The league-leading Lynx (27-5) have unsurprisingly shown some vulnerability without the two-time All-WNBA First-Team selection, but they are riding a five-game winning streak just the same and beat the Liberty by double digits on the road last Sunday. Collier will watch on as this juggernaut tries to do the same on Saturday, this time in front of the home crowd.
The Lynx are more dangerous than fans maybe even realized
While nobody wants to see No. 24 on the bench, this unfortunate situation has enabled Minnesota to send a thunderous message to the rest of the WNBA: this team is mighty deep. All-Stars Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams can carry the offensive workload on a given night and trade acquisition DiJonai Carrington is providing great value on both ends of the floor. The trick will be fusing all the talent together when Napheesa Collier returns.
Four-time WNBA champion and four-time Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve welcomes that “problem.” She is incredibly confident in her group and knows that the Lynx are near-unbeatable when they follow their game plan. Learning how to triumph without leaning on a two-way powerhouse like Collier should only strengthen morale and trust.
Minnesota currently leads New York 38-33 at halftime. Williams has a game-high 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Should the advantage hold through the final 20 minutes of play, an already healthy first-place cushion will balloon to seven and a half games.
