Napheesa Collier scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in her season debut Wednesday, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Seattle Storm 86-76 to head into the All-Star break with the best record in the league. Collier tore ligaments in her left ankle during a playoff game last September and had surgery on both ankles over the offseason, and it took her just 22.1 minutes to get to 20 and 10, the fewest minutes ever needed for that line in franchise history.
Collier said it hit her the moment she was introduced with the starters.
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“I was just so excited. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I couldn’t wait to get on the court with these guys,” Collier said. “It was really just a year of pent-up excitement, so there was definitely some settling in. But my teammates always have me. They’ve supported me through this entire process, including today, so I knew they had my back no matter what.”
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said the plan was to manage Collier’s minutes and let her make an impact within the flow.
“I thought we did a great job managing her minutes and sticking to the plan. She’ll tell you those first three minutes were probably the hardest because of the adrenaline, then the adrenaline crash. After that, she felt great,” Reeve said. “It’s kind of fitting that No. 24 scored 24 points in her return. I liked that a lot.”
Seattle shot 42.1% in the first quarter behind Natisha Hiedeman and led 22-18. It became a one-point game at halftime, with Seattle up 45-44, after scoring 18 of its 23 second-quarter points in the paint. Minnesota took control of the momentum after the break using a 24-15 third quarter to lead 68-60 heading into the fourth. Seattle stayed competitive. Flau’jae Johnson scored five points in a 19-second burst to cut it to 77-76 with 1:42 left, and Awa Fam fouled Collier on a 3-point attempt with 1:19 to go. Collier made all three free throws, followed a Seattle miss with a turnaround jumper, and Minnesota closed the game on a 9-0 run at the line. Reeve cared more about the second-half defense than any of it.
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“I didn’t think we were very good defensively in the first half. They scored 45 points, and at that pace they were on their way to more than 90,” Reeve said. “Holding them to 31 in the second half was much more in line with our identity. I’m happy to go into the All-Star break knowing our defensive identity still matters to this team.”
Kayla McBride scored 20 points, recording her 11th 20-point game this season and eighth straight. She narrowly missed a streak of 23-point games that would’ve matched Diana Taurasi and A’ja Wilson. Olivia Miles added 13 points, six assists, three rebounds, and two steals, marking her 21st game with at least 10 points and five assists, and she became the fastest in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 150 assists in just 26 games. Natasha Howard contributed 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists, her 22nd season with double-digit points and rebounds, and her 200th career game.
McBride said having Collier back changed the whole feel of the team.
“Since I’ve been with the Lynx, I’ve played with Phe. I’ve watched her grow, become a mom, and we’ve gone through so much together as teammates,” McBride said. “Those last five minutes of the game were fun because you knew it was time for Phe to take over, making big baskets, big free throws, making winning plays. That’s who she is.”
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Collier returned the favor, crediting McBride’s season for keeping the Lynx on top while she was out.
“Mack has really put this team on her back. This run she’s been on has been so much fun to watch. Her aggressiveness, her shot-making, her playmaking, everything she’s doing offensively has been incredible,” Collier said. “She absolutely deserves to be an All-Star. We’re the No. 1 team, and she’s a huge reason why we’re here.”
Dominique Malonga led Seattle (6-23) with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting, nine rebounds and a career-high four blocks, setting a new career high for points in a season along the way. Johnson scored 16, nine of them in the fourth quarter, and Fam recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the third-youngest player in league history to reach 100 career field goals made. Hiedeman added 12. Seattle has now lost six straight and eight of its last nine.
Seattle hosts the Indiana Fever on July 28 after the break. Minnesota hosts the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday.
