LeBron James Shines Spotlight on Lynx Star Napheesa Collier
The Minnesota Lynx won a pivotal Game 3 of the WNBA Semifinals against the Connecticut Sun on Friday night by a score of 90-81, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.
The Lynx lost home-court advantage after suffering a 73-70 loss on their own floor during Game 1 of the series — which brought out some intense emotions from Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.
Since then, the Lynx have rebounded to win two straight games and are now just one win away from advancing to their first WNBA Finals since 2017.
Minnesota would not have made it this far without superstar Napheesa Collier. Collier isn't just their leader and best defender (proven by her winning 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year), but her well-rounded offensive skillset is a terror for opposing defenses to deal with.
In five postseason games this year, Collier has averaged 26.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. On Friday, she produced 26 points (on an efficient 57.9% from the field), 11 rebounds, and 3 assists.
This performance caught the attention of Indiana Pacers superstar and Team USA Paris Olympics gold medalist Tyrese Haliburton, who wrote on X, "Napheesa been killin!!" Friday night.
Napheesa been killin!!
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) October 5, 2024
And NBA icon and arguable basketball GOAT LeBron James replied to Haliburton's post, adding on to his sentiment by saying, "FACTS!!! She’s a BEAST! Game so damn smooth and complete! TOUGH".
FACTS!!! She’s a BEAST! Game so damn smooth and complete! TOUGH https://t.co/iV1bJzFM0X
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 5, 2024
It's awesome to see a global basketball icon like James praising Collier, who is often considered the most underrated and under-appreciated player in the WNBA.
Yet, if Collier can keep up with her current form and bring the Lynx a WNBA championship later this month, she'll surely be receiving a ton of attention.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.