Lynx Star Napheesa Collier Admits to Still Being ‘Sore Loser’ Over WNBA Finals Loss

The 2024 WNBA Finals ended over three months ago, but the loss still sticks with Napheesa Collier and likely will for a long time.
The Minnesota Lynx fell short in game 5 against the New York Liberty in overtime. It was a controversial conclusion due to a late foul call against Minnesota which ultimately sent the game into OT and may have determined the outcome of the series.
After the game, Collier called it a "gut-wrenching end" in an Instagram post. While her coach Cheryl Reeve used even stronger words, stating the championship was stolen from the Lynx as a result of the questionable call.
Collier joined Taylor Rooks with Bleacher Report to talk about her WNBA career and the launch of the Unrivaled Basketball League. But she also opened up about how much that particular loss affects her to this day.
"I'll just never forget it," Collier said of the way her season ended. "It was my first really hard loss in my career and especially when you feel like it was, like, unfair, whatever it was. I feel like it's something hard to get over and I'm honestly not going to apologize for that."
"I'm a competitor. I want to win," Collier added. "I shouldn't get over that. I should use it as fuel, which is exactly what I'm doing. I'm working really hard... Next time I'm there, I want to win."
When Rooks asked Collier about possible push back on her comments, the Lynx star stated that some may call her a sore loser, a label she owned. "I am a sore loser. It sucks. I agree with you, I am very sore about losing," Collier said.
Napheesa Collier on 2024 WNBA Finals loss:
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 30, 2025
"I feel like [that loss] is something hard to get over and I'm honestly not going to apologize for that... calling me a sore loser... I AM a sore loser."
(via Taylor Rooks X) pic.twitter.com/9FRe274x42
She also added that she is using Unrivaled, the league she co-founded with Breanna Stewart, to build her game. And Collier has dominated to start the season there. Her Lunar Owls are undefeated and she is averaging 28.5 points, 13 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest.
If her clear motivation and Unrivaled performance are any indication, expect Collier to be an even bigger force than she already was in the upcoming WNBA season.