Napheesa Collier's return for the Lynx Sunday evening offered a sharp reminder of everything she is capable of and was a major rallying point for the team, who played 9 games without their superstar. Collier racked up 32 points and 9 rebounds in 32 minutes against the Fever and was a key part of the reason why the team beat Indiana.
Her performance was certainly MVP-caliber, but there's a slight catch to Collier's claim to the title: even if she plays every single game for the rest of the season, she will have missed 22% of matches this season. While the NBA requires players to participate in at least 65 games a season to be considered for honors, the WNBA doesn't have a similar rule — but Collier's late-season injury has still prompted questions.
There is little doubt that Collier is worthy of the nod. She came into the 2025 season hot and ready to lead the Lynx on a bit of a revenge tour (Minnesota narrowly lost the 2024 WNBA Championship to the Liberty), and up until she injured her ankle this month, seemed destined for the highest individual accolade possible.
The Lynx continued to dominate without Collier
In addition to costing her time on the court — time that both A'ja Wilson and Alyssa Thomas, the two strongest challengers Collier faces — the injury also highlighted another reality that might make Collier's path toward MVP less clear: the Lynx continued to thrive without her. Unlike the Aces, who have made it clear that much of their success lies on Wilson's ability to carry them to the finish line over and over again, or the Mercury, who have lost games this season but not because of anything Thomas has done wrong, the Lynx's winning percentage barely dipped at all as Collier stayed on the sidelines.
In fact, the Lynx just might end the season with one of the best records in WNBA history. That's a credit to Collier (as well as to her teammates, particularly Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, and Jessica Shepard), but it also just highlights a stark reality: this year's Lynx is so talented (and so well-coached) at a level that many teams in the league are still struggling to catch up to.
It bears repeating that Collier is clearly a MVP-level athlete; what is less clear is how much it should matter that she missed 9 games just before the season ends. Historically, WNBA MVPs haven't missed a lot of time on the floor (in recent years, Jonquel Jones missed 5 games when she was named MVP in 2021).
There has been a strong push to crown Collier MVP all season, and she may well win the award. Ultimately, what happens next will be determined by Collier herself. If she continues to play at or exceed her pre-injury levels, then the MVP crown is very likely hers. If she dips at all — and if Wilson and Thomas continue to perform as they have lately — then it just might pass her by.