Fresh off a win over the defending champions, the Minnesota Lynx continued to showcase their dominance. They beat the Las Vegas Aces 111-58 on the road. Kayla McBride led the way with eight made 3-pointers, Jessica Shepard logged a big double-double, and Natisha Hiedeman poured in 17 points in 23 minutes off the bench.
Las Vegas didn’t stand a chance. The only bright spot for them was Jewell Loyd’s early success in her new role off the bench.
The Lynx’s win was overshadowed by Napheesa Collier’s ankle injury. With little time left in the third quarter, Collier went down with what looked like a rolled ankle and had to be helped off the floor. Fortunately, she was able to walk to the locker room.
When Collier went down, the Lynx were up 92-42, and Maria Kliundikova was waiting at the scorer’s table to sub in for one of the Lynx’s starting bigs. The score made fans wonder why Collier was even still on the court when she suffered the injury.
Cheryl Reeve spoke on her decision to keep Collier in the game late in the third. “It’s a third quarter of a game on someone else’s floor. I don’t think the game is over. I don’t think like that. She had a sub there, and she wasn’t going to play in the fourth quarter,” Reeve said in her postgame press conference.
Minnesota has some time off
There was no update on Napheesa Collier’s status right after the game. She will undergo further examination and imaging first. So, Lynx fans have to be patient.
Fortunately, the Lynx don’t play again until Tuesday, giving Collier some time to recover. Nevertheless, fans shouldn’t expect her to suit up for the Lynx’s game against the Seattle Storm on Tuesday.
Minnesota is still six games ahead of the next-best team in the standings and doesn’t have to rush Collier’s recovery.
Napheesa Collier is the driving force behind the Lynx’s success
The Lynx have a strong roster. Nevertheless, Napheesa Collier is unquestionably the team’s best player. She leads the Lynx in points, rebounds, and steals per game. Averaging a career-high 23.8 points, Collier also leads the WNBA in scoring and is the current favorite to be named MVP at the end of the season.
Losing her to a serious long-term injury would be devastating for the Lynx. After losing the 2024 championship in Game 5 of last year’s finals, this season only has one truly successful outcome for the Lynx. They want to win a championship, which would be difficult to do without Collier.