Napheesa Collier needed only 22 minutes make an impact and help the Minnesota Lynx to an 88-76 win over the Seattle Storm on Wednesday afternoon.
In her season debut, Collier, who immediately slotted into the starting lineup, recorded a double-double, finishing with a game-high 24 points, 10 rebounds and one assist.
She was all smiles during the postgame press conference, remarking on how elated she was to get back on the floor. She gushed:
I felt like a candy store. I got on the court to get with these
guys. I don’t know, just a lot of excitement. I was just really happy to be here.
Her teammate Kayla McBride finished with 20 points and three rebounds. The duo ran effective pick-and-rolls and consistently found each other in the paint as Minnesota settled into the game after a slow start.
McBride was just as happy to have her veteran teammate back alongside her heading into the All-Star break, sharing:
As long as I’ve been a Lynx, I played with Phee (Collier), and I watched her grow, and I watched her become a mom. We’ve gone through so many things together as teammates, and so it just makes me happy…people don’t see the behind-the-scenes, but we’re with her every single day. And this is somebody who I’ve been in the trenches with, so I’m just happy to see her doing her thing.
The matchup also marked the first time rookie Olivia Miles shared the floor with Collier. Though Miles’ scoring production dipped, she still finished with 13 points, three rebounds and six assists while becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 150 assists.
Seattle held the lead at halftime, but Minnesota responded in the third quarter, outscoring the Storm to build an eight-point advantage, 68-60, entering the fourth.
The Storm made one final push behind Dominique Malonga’s 21 points and nine rebounds, along with Flau’jae Johnson’s 16 points and six rebounds, but Minnesota answered down the stretch.
With Courtney Williams sidelined after fouling out, the Lynx relied on Collier, Miles and Maya Caldwell to close things out. A series of free throws from the trio, followed by Collier’s 24th point off a Natasha Howard assist with 37 seconds remaining, sealed Minnesota’s seventh consecutive victory.
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said the game plan was to allow Collier to naturally work her way back into the offense. She explained:
I told the others, we didn’t want to focus on Phee being out there. We just wanted to play like we’ve been playing, and Phee would find her way in and fit in.
And that’s exactly what she did. She found her spot. She’s just a really good basketball player. And the second half, we did a little bit more, putting her in action as she got a little more comfortable, and it was probably I think above anything I could’ve expected. Interesting that number 24’s first 24 on her return. I like that a lot.
Collier underwent surgeries on both ankles during the offseason, while her teammates kept Minnesota atop the league during her recovery. Phee emphasized that watching the team’s chemistry develop while she was sidelined made her return even more rewarding, saying:
I see, like Mac (McBride) said, the behind-the-scenes everyday. Building that chemistry, the buy-in, integrating all these new people, working with the best rookie—arguably an MVP candidate right now.
There’s just a lot that was going on this season, and so for us to be in the number one spot, I think time and time again it’s an old story. Minnesota’s always counted out, but you can never count us out. And so it’s just been so fun to watch. I’ve been so proud of this team.
