The Minnesota Lynx are sitting at 17-6, tied with the Las Vegas Aces for the best record in the WNBA. And they’ve done it without Napheesa Collier, last season’s MVP runner-up, who’s been out after ankle surgeries this offseason.
Coach Cheryl Reeve dropped the update Saturday night after the Lynx took down the New York Liberty 90-85. Collier is getting close. Real close.
“You don’t know what the game situations are going to bring, and so it’s going to be a little bit of feeling it out, trial and error,” Reeve told ESPN’s Myron Medcalf. “I don’t have a date for you as to when, but obviously she’s getting really close.”
Before that win, Reeve made one thing crystal clear: this is still Collier’s team. Even with Minnesota rolling without her.
“There is not anybody that walks into the gym that doesn’t know that it’s still Phee’s team,” Reeve said. “What’s great is (Courtney Williams) and (Kayla McBride), they’re very happy to declare that it’s Phee’s team.”
Rookie Olivia Miles keeps making history
Collier’s absence has given rookie Olivia Miles a chance to shine. She returned from a calf injury Saturday and dropped 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists. According to ESPN Research, she’s now the fastest player in WNBA history to hit 350 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists. Not bad for someone who’s barely a dozen games in.
Kayla McBride led the Lynx with 25 points Saturday, including 14 in the fourth quarter. That win avenged a loss to New York from just eight days earlier. She’s excited about what Collier adds to a group that’s already clicking.
“I think when you care about one another and you’re trying to win every possession, you’re competing together, you’re always trying to find a way,” McBride said. “And then obviously adding an MVP candidate for the last couple years into that mix just gets us really excited. But we’ve been holding it down and it’s been a lot of fun. I think there’s a lot of cohesion, a lot of confidence in one another right now and just finding ways to win.”
Minnesota has five games left before the All-Star break, with three at home. They host the Phoenix Mercury on Monday night. Collier’s return could come any game now. And if the Lynx are this good without her, what happens when she steps back on the floor?
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