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Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier shared a heartfelt post following the team's tough Game 5 loss to the New York Liberty en route to the Liberty winning their first WNBA Finals in history. Game 5 was clouded by controversy due to a late foul call that determined the outcome of the rest of the game.
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The Liberty were down 60-58, with just under five seconds left in the game when Breanna Stewart drove to the rim to tie up the game. The Lynx's Alana Smith stepped up to contest, holding her hands straight up to make the shot harder to knock down. Stewart missed but the referees deemed that there was enough contact to warrant a foul call to send her to the line. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeves challenged the call but was unsuccessful, leading Stewart to knock down both her free throws and ultimately send the game into overtime.
A picture of Smith's contest of Stewart is seen in Collier's Instagram carousel, in which the caption said:
“Gut wrenching end to an incredible season. I have loved every minute of being around this team, I love you guys sm you have made this the most incredible year 🫶🏽🫶🏽 Huge thank you to our coaches and staff, you guys are so amazing. And thanks to all the fans for supporting us this season, we’ll be back. 💙💚”
Collier had a standout year in The W this season. Collier averaged 20.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.4 per game for Minnesota in the regular season. She’s dialed up her play even more during the team’s postseason run, upping her points per game to 23.8 and still being steady with her rebounding, blocks and steals.
Collier is a standout offensive player but her defense has earned her high acclaim in the W. She recently won the Defensive Player of the Year and finished second in MVP voting behind unanimous MVP A’ja Wilson. Collier certainly has a foundation to build upon as she uses the loss as motivation to further improve and set her sights on a return to the WNBA Finals next season.
