For the previous yr, Napheesa Collier has been on a mission to show she’s the most effective ladies’s basketball participant on the planet.
On Saturday, Collier was locked in on that once more, dominating the all-star recreation and reminding everybody why the Minnesota Lynx star is the runaway favourite for the WNBA MVP Award with a record-breaking 36 factors.
After being named MVP of the Unequalled league, Collier hasn’t slowed down in any respect this season, main the WNBA in scoring common (23.2), along with rating within the prime 10 in rebounds (7.6), steals (1.8) and blocks (1.6), in addition to free throw proportion (94.6).
On prime of being the most effective participant on the league’s greatest staff, Collier dominated the WNBA All-Star Recreation Saturday in Indianapolis, stealing the present on an evening the place the largest story was the truth that Caitlin Clark wasn’t enjoying.
WNBA All-Stars additionally made waves in pre-game warmups, carrying shirts that stated, “Pay us what you owe us.”
It is a daring stance because the WNBA and its gamers renegotiate their collective bargaining settlement.
Collier is a pacesetter in that combat. However on Saturday, she made a daring assertion of one other type, setting a WNBA All-Star Recreation report with 36 factors to earn MVP honors.
Protection felt elective within the recreation, however no person else scored greater than 20 factors. Collier was 4-of-5 from three-point vary, and pulled down 9 rebounds, whereas making 13-of-16 shot makes an attempt. She was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, however free throws weren’t really tried.
So the 36 factors have a slight asterisk, though Collier in all probability would have made the free throws, contemplating she’s made 9.4 out of each 10 makes an attempt this season.
Collier has been the most effective participant within the WNBA — even the world — for some time. It is not a secret, no less than to those that have been paying consideration. Saturday’s All-Star Recreation was simply one other reminder.
