Minnesota Lynx Reload With Napheesa Collier Back, Rookie Sensation Emerging and as Championship Expectations Rise

Napheesa Collier (left) and Olivia Miles (right) at a press conference. Photo: Minnesota Lynx

The Minnesota Lynx are entering the most important stretch of their season with something and someone they have been waiting for…Napheesa Collier is back.

After spending time away from the team due to two ankle surgeries, Collier’s return has provided an immediate impact for the Lynx. A team that continued to find ways to win without its MVPhee. Now, with Phee back in the lineup, Minnesota has another weapon, another leader and another reason to believe this team has what it takes to make a serious run at a WNBA championship.

And if the Lynx can stay healthy, I believe they have what it takes to win it all.

One of the most impressive parts of Minnesota’s season has been the way the team responded in Collier’s absence. There was never a sense that the season was going to fall apart simply because their best player wasn’t on the floor, even when everyone was uncertain of the new structure of the team.

Instead, players stepped into leadership roles.

Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams and Natasha Howard became critical voices for the team, helping provide stability, confidence and leadership during a period when Minnesota had to adjust without its superstar.

That type of leadership matters.

Championship teams aren’t built only around one superstar. They are built around players who understand how to keep the team together when adversity hits. A team that understands the level of discipline and resiliency it takes to be successful. As Courtney Williams would say “stacking their days.”

McBride continued to provide veteran leadership, guarding the best player day in and day out, in addition to her perimeter shooting and having her best season of her 13-year career. Williams being able to finally play her true position has brought toughness, playmaking and personality to the floor, while Howard gave Minnesota another veteran presence capable of impacting the game on both ends.

They helped keep the Lynx moving forward.

Now Collier is back, and the fit feels almost effortless.

It’s like putting a glove on a hand.

There isn’t a need for the team to completely reinvent itself because Phee already understands who this team is and what it needs from her. Her ability to score, defend, rebound and create opportunities for her teammates gives Minnesota another layer that becomes extremely difficult for opponents to prepare for.

But while Collier’s return is the headline, another storyline deserves just as much attention: the emergence of Minnesota’s rookie Olivia Miles.

Rookie point guard Olivia Miles. Photo: Minnesota Lynx

Miles has played with the confidence and maturity of someone far beyond her WNBA experience level, and at this point, the conversation has included the possibility of her becoming both Rookie of the Year and potentially the league’s MVP.

If that happens, she would become the first player since Candace Parker to win both awards in the same season.

What makes Miles emergence so exciting is that she hasn’t simply looked like a rookie putting up numbers. She has looked like someone who belongs and is never afraid of the big moments.

Miles has provided Minnesota with another scoring option, another player capable of creating offense and another piece opponents have to account for every night. With her playmaking ability, it truly makes this team unstoppable.

And when you combine that rookie production with Collier’s return, the Lynx suddenly have an even higher ceiling. Scary hour is now more of a nightmare for the league. 

Area of concern

But there is one area that concerns me heading into the playoffs: bench production.

Minnesota has gotten tremendous contributions from its starters, as everyone in the starting lineup is averaging double figures and on any given night you can get big numbers from each one of them.

That’s great during the regular season. But the playoffs are different.

The physicality increases. The scouting reports becomes more detailed. Rotations shorten. Games become more intense. And fatigue becomes a factor as teams fight through multiple games against the same opponent.

That’s why Minnesota needs consistent production from its bench.

The Lynx cannot rely on their starters to carry the entire offensive load throughout a deep playoff run. At some point, they are going to need someone outside of the starting five to step up and give them meaningful minutes, scoring, defense or energy consistently! Could that be Nia Coffey who was once a starter while Phee was out? Maybe Dorka Juhasz or Maya Caldwell?

Bench production could ultimately be the difference between making a deep playoff run and winning a championship.

But the Lynx’s secret weapon is the person orchestrating all of it: Cheryl Reeve. There is something special about the way Reeve continues to manage this team. Her ability to understand her players, adjust to different circumstances and put people in positions to succeed is one of the biggest advantages Minnesota has.

Cheryl Reeve was named the Lynx coach in 2009. Since then, she's won four championships and won four WNBA coach of the year awards. Photo: Minnesota Lynx

When Collier was out, Reeve didn’t panic. She trusted her veterans. She allowed other players to grow in new roles. She adjusted. And now that Collier is back, Reeve has another opportunity to figure out how all of these pieces fit together at the highest level.

That’s what makes this Lynx team so dangerous.

They aren’t dependent on one person. They have veteran leadership. They have a superstar returning at the right time. They have an emerging rookie who is playing beyond expectations. And they have one of the best coaches in the league.

The biggest question now isn’t whether Minnesota has enough talent.

It’s whether they can stay healthy and whether the bench can consistently contribute when the games become more demanding. If they can answer those two questions, I believe the Minnesota Lynx have everything they need to win the WNBA championship.

The regular season may have been about finding ways to survive without Phee. Now it’s about figuring out just how good this team can be with her back.

And if the pieces continue to fit the way they have so far, Minnesota may be heading into the playoffs with something every championship team needs: confidence, depth, leadership and belief.