There’s something special brewing in the WNBA playoffs, and it has the name Napheesa Collier written all over it. The Minnesota Lynx star has been putting on a scoring clinic that has everyone buzzing. The best part? She’s breathing down the neck of none other than Lynx royalty — Maya Moore, aka Caitlin Clark’s GOAT pick. (Yes, THAT Maya Moore — the one with four rings and a suitcase full of accolades). Collier is playing so well that even Maya herself might need to dust off her sneakers if she wants to keep her records safe!
In Game 5 against the Connecticut Sun, Collier put on a show, lighting up the court with 27 points on a sizzling 10-of-16 shooting, casually adding a 1-for-2 splash from beyond the arc. This bumped her playoff average to 27.1 points per game — a hair’s breadth away from Maya’s jaw-dropping 27.8 points per game in 2015. It’s as if Collier took a look at the record books, shrugged, and said, “Challenge accepted.”
Scoring Like It’s 2015: Collier’s March Toward History
The regular season was already a highlight reel for Collier, who averaged a cool 20.4 ppg, fifth-best in the league. But when the playoffs rolled around, she leveled up like she was in a WNBA-themed video game. Her performance against the Phoenix Mercury in the first round was flat-out ridiculous — 42 points! And no, that’s not a typo. That’s the same number of points I’d probably score if I played four games in a row. (Okay, maybe a little less.)
That 42-point explosion tied the record for the most points ever in a single playoff game. Clearly, she decided that one record wasn’t enough, so she’s been knocking on the door of Maya’s all-time best pre-finals average, as if she’s asking, “Mind if I break in and steal a record or two?”
Connecticut’s Defensive Headache: The Sun Sets, Collier Rises
The Connecticut Sun brought in their defense, boasting the league’s stingiest stats, determined to keep her in check. They did manage to slow her down a tad in Game 2, holding her to just nine points in a 77-70 Lynx victory. But what’s a little dip in the stats when you can bounce back with a vengeance? Collier didn’t just come back — she erupted! Over the next three games, she shredded the Sun’s defense like it was made of paper, averaging a solid 27.3 points per game.
The title-clinching game was her chef-d’oeuvre — a 62.5% shooting display that made even the great Alyssa Thomas look like she was caught in a defensive merry-go-round. Double-teams? Please. It was as if Collier took one look at those traps and thought, “Two defenders? Why not add a third? I’ll still score.”
Maya Moore’s Throne Isn’t Vacant Just Yet… But Collier’s Coming for It
Now, before we start chiseling Napheesa’s name into the WNBA’s Mt. Rushmore, let’s get one thing straight: Maya Moore’s Finals scoring record is still as solid as a rock. With four WNBA championships under her belt and a record 441 points scored in the Finals, Moore isn’t sweating just yet. It’s like trying to compete with Michael Jordan’s legendary “flu game” when you’re the new kid on the block.
But Collier is just getting started. This will be her first appearance in the Finals, and if she’s already sniffing Maya’s pre-finals record, imagine what she’ll do with a few more cracks at the big stage. Moore may have set the bar high, but Collier is eyeing it like it’s a height she can’t wait to clear. She’s not just chasing greatness; she’s hunting it down, armed with a jumpshot and a grin that says, “Watch out, Maya.”
So, What’s Next for Napheesa?
Collier’s made one thing clear: if there’s a GOAT race, she’s in it, and she’s not slowing down. As the WNBA Finals loom, fans are on the edge of their seats, popcorn in hand, waiting to see if she can pull off another show-stopping performance. It’s like watching the underdog challenge the reigning champion in a superhero movie — thrilling, unpredictable, and oh-so-entertaining.
In the end, will she dethrone Maya Moore? Only time (and a few more high-scoring games) will tell. One thing’s for sure, though: Napheesa Collier is making history one bucket at a time. And somewhere, Maya is probably watching with a smile, thinking, “Not bad, kid. Not bad at all.”