Cheryl Reeve says Napheesa Collier’s MVP season is coming after Lynx’s 4-1 start
Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx reacts during the first quarter against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. ((Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It’s still very early in the WNBA season, but the Minnesota Lynx are one of the hottest teams in the league.
The Lynx are off to a 4-1 start after a 92-79 win over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, and are the second-best team in the league five games in. A lot of that has to do with Napheesa Collier. In five starts this season, Collier is averaging 23 points, 10.4 rebounds, four assists, 2.8 steals and 2.2 blocks per game. She's the first player in WNBA history with 115 points, 50 rebounds, 25 steals and blocks and 20 assists over a five-game span.
Coming off playing for Team USA last year, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said Sunday she believes Collier’s MVP season is on the horizon.
"Everybody knows, including players in the league know that Phee, her MVP season is coming. As to this point of the season, she is the MVP of the season," Reeve said. "We know that’s what’s next, and what’s it mean for our franchise? It means we can reach great heights."
It’s just five games, but the Lynx so far have exceeded early expectations. A team that’s won four WNBA titles under Reeve, but they haven’t won a playoff series since 2021. The Lynx last won the WNBA title in 2017. The team looks a lot different now without Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Rebekkah Brunson, Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles, who have all retired.
Reeve says it’s time for a new era, led by Collier.
"We don’t believe the experts, we’ve never felt like we were going to be a bad team. They see it in each other. We laughed about it. I guess when you move on from a dynasty era, and we don’t have the same names, then there’s just not the same respect given," Reeve said. "I don’t know if they don’t believe in the coach, we don’t have a problem. It’s other people that don’t know what they’re doing."
The Lynx are currently second in the WNBA only to the undefeated Connecticut Sun. They're back in action Wednesday night against the Las Vegas Aces at Target Center.