Because the WNBA tipped off its 2025 season, the highlight might have been mounted on flashy debuts and new market stars, however in Minnesota, enterprise stays private—and Napheesa Collier is ensuring of it.
Coming off a Finals loss to the New York Liberty, a Defensive Participant of the 12 months award, and a gold medal with Staff USA, Collier enters 2025 with one precedence: ending what the Lynx began.
“Particular person accolades aren’t my aim; the workforce stuff is my aim,” Collier mentioned. “If the workforce’s not doing nicely, you’re not going to get these particular person accolades anyway. Should you’re so egocentric, you’re not going to get it. You’re enjoying in your workforce and serving to your workforce win.”
Her mindset is emblematic of a franchise rooted in legacy, accountability, and sustained excellence—and Collier, the centerpiece of the Lynx, is embracing each facet of that identification.
Napheesa Collier Makes Dominant Begin to 2025
Collier’s season opener spoke volumes. She scored 34 factors—tying the franchise report for many in a season debut—whereas including six rebounds and 4 assists in a 99–84 street win over the Dallas Wings. She delivered 18 of these factors within the third quarter alone, turning a one-point contest right into a rout with the sort of managed, two-way dominance few gamers within the league can match.
“She was aggressive,” head coach Cheryl Reeve mentioned. “We had talked earlier than the sport about recognizing the locations the place Payment wants the ball—and we had been persistent in getting her there.”
Collier’s third-quarter outburst sparked a 13–1 run that broke the sport open, as she and teammate Courtney Williams mixed for 33 of the workforce’s 35 factors within the body. It was the sort of medical takeover that outlined Collier’s 2024 marketing campaign and can seemingly gas her MVP candidacy this season.
“I’m truthfully centered on greater than MVP,” Collier reiterated postgame. “I would like us to win a championship this 12 months, in order that’s what I’m centered on. The awards come after that.”
Collier enters the 2025 season because the consensus favourite for the WNBA MVP award, topping the league’s annual GM survey over A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark. In accordance with the annual WNBA common supervisor survey, over 50% of GMs voted for Collier as their predicted MVP, citing her two-way excellence and rising management.
Minnesota Lynx Core Stability and Season Outlook
The Lynx completed with a 30–10 report in 2024, led the league in defensive score, and fell simply quick within the WNBA Finals. For Reeve, who has coached Minnesota to 4 championships, the message coming into coaching camp was clear: that heartbreak should gas what comes subsequent.
“The enjoyment of profitable a championship is as a result of it’s so arduous to get there,” Reeve mentioned. “That’s additionally why the heartache is so nice, and the depths of which are so low, is due to the funding and the way arduous it’s to get there.”
Reeve has at all times coached with excessive requirements, however with a mature core constructed round Collier, Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, Bridget Carleton, and Alanna Smith, the 2025 marketing campaign is much less about constructing and extra about executing.
The workforce’s elite protection, house dominance (17–3 at Goal Middle in 2024), and continuity are key the reason why 60% of WNBA common managers picked the Lynx to win this 12 months’s championship.
Minnesota’s roster continuity might show to be its best benefit. All 5 starters from the Finals return, and the workforce’s solely notable offseason roster transfer was waiving Grace Berger earlier than opening evening. Key items like Williams and Smith present toughness, whereas McBride stays one of many league’s high catch-and-shoot threats. Jessica Shepard’s inside presence and Diamond Miller’s versatile skill-set spherical out some of the balanced rosters within the WNBA.
Collier and the Lynx Eye 2025 WNBA Championship
Minnesota ranked top-three in web score (+8.0), scoring differential (+6.4), and efficient subject aim proportion (51.8%) final season, and people traits seem poised to proceed.
As Courtney Williams mentioned after the season opener: “It’s her 12 months, man. It’s her 12 months to go get it.”
However when you ask Collier, “her 12 months” solely means one factor: a title.
From her tone at media day to her actions on opening evening, Collier’s strategy hasn’t modified. She’s centered, grounded, and relentless—a frontrunner whose presence alerts Minnesota is not only again, however probably higher.
If 2024 was a prelude, 2025 is the pursuit. And for Napheesa Collier, the one consequence value celebrating is the one which is available in October—with a championship trophy in hand.
A Regularly Rising Model
Simply forward of the season opener, Collier introduced a serious new endorsement take care of Jordan Model—a transfer that additional cements her as some of the influential gamers in ladies’s basketball.
“I’m tremendous excited. Youth has at all times been a ardour of mine—I’ve at all times liked working with youngsters, even earlier than I had one. So with the ability to do that’s superb,” Collier mentioned. “After which with Jordan Model, I simply suppose we align so nicely. Every part they’re about is greatness, and that’s what I aspire to be—once I’m enjoying, and with the issues I’m doing off the courtroom. So I used to be actually, actually excited to have the ability to signal with them.”
She celebrated the announcement with a “Jordan gang” put up on social media, signaling her place within the lineage of elite athletes tied to the model.
With Olympic gold, a Finals look, and now Jordan Model backing her, Collier’s profile has by no means been increased.
