Napheesa Collier Joins Maya Moore in Lynx History Books with Epic Game 1 Performance

Napheesa Collier scored 38 points in the Minnesota Lynx's win over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday. She joined Maya Moore in the franchise's history books.

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) brings the ball up the court / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

There's a reason Napheesa Collier finished second in the 2024 WNBA MVP voting, and she showed why in the Minnesota Lynx's Game 1 victory over the Phoenix Mercury.

Collier scored a career-playoff-high 38 points on 11-of-19 shooting on Sunday, leading Minnesota to a 102-95 win over Phoenix. The Lynx now have a 1-0 series lead and can close out the Mercury in Game 2, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 25 (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Collier also had six rebounds, four assists and a block in the win.

Sunday's performance marked the second time in Collier's career that she scored 30 points in a playoff game. She joined Minnesota legend and four-time WNBA champion Maya Moore as only the second player in league history to accomplish the feat.

Napheesa Collier is the second player in Lynx history with multiple 30-PT games in the postseason, joining Maya Moore 🔥

She got a career-high 38 points 👏 pic.twitter.com/pPKB13hBFC

— espnW (@espnW) September 22, 2024

That's pretty good company for Collier to join. In addition to winning four WNBA titles, Moore was also the league MVP in 2014 and a six-time WNBA All-Star.

Collier, now in her sixth season, is a four-time All-Star selection. She's hoping to win her first league title this year, as well.

During the regular season, Collier averaged 20.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. Those numbers earned her second place in the 2024 WNBA MVP race, behind Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson.

Minnesota finished the 2024 season with a 30-10 record, the second-best mark in the league. The Lynx were also the winners of the Commissioner's Cup.

Can Minnesota add another WNBA championship to its collection this year? If Collier performs at the level she did on Sunday, the Lynx are going to be a tough squad to beat in the playoffs.