Napheesa Collier isn’t just aiming high—she’s aiming for the stratosphere. The Minnesota Lynx star recently stirred the pot on Paul George’s Podcast P, casually predicting that she and Maya Moore, the Minnesota legend herself, would have built a WNBA dynasty to rival even the Chicago Bulls. No big deal, right? Just a cool five championships, maybe six… or why not go full MJ-and-Pippen and shoot for seven?
The audacity! The confidence! We love it.
But first, let’s get to the hypothetical part of this ambitious claim. Maya Moore, the four-time WNBA champion who pretty much carried Minnesota to glory between 2011 and 2017, retired in 2018 to focus on something small—getting her husband out of prison. Meanwhile, Collier, a young star in her own right, was picked up by the Lynx in 2019, just one year too late to team up with Moore. So, while Collier can only dream of what could have been, she’s not shy about imagining greatness.
“We would get at least five titles,” Collier said confidently, barely flinching as she threw out the number like she was ordering a pizza. Paul George, always one to raise the stakes, chimed in: “If not more. Six. No, seven!” Forget five rings; why not a full-on jewelry collection?
Before we crown Collier as the WNBA’s Nostradamus, she was quick to remind everyone just how impactful Maya Moore was. “It’s really cool to have someone like that from where you’re from, just to look up to,” Collier said, while giving a nod to the fact that women’s sports on TV weren’t exactly appointment viewing back in Moore’s heyday. Moore didn’t just win titles; she blazed a trail so bright that every young hooper in Minnesota—Collier included—had a role model to follow.
“Of course, I wish I could have played with her,” Collier added wistfully, before basically saying, ‘But hey, at least her legacy follows me around like a shadow everywhere I go!’ No pressure, right?
Now, before we dive too deep into Collier’s championship crystal ball, let’s give credit where it’s due: Collier has already started crafting her own legacy with the Lynx. The 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and MVP runner-up (just a couple of minor accolades, no big deal) led the Lynx all the way to the Finals this year. Sure, they lost to the New York Liberty, but Collier showed up in a big way, tying Moore’s playoff record for most 30-point games in Lynx postseason history. If that’s not a fitting tribute to Maya Moore, what is?
In the 2024 playoffs, Collier put up a casual career-high 38 points in a first-round smackdown of the Phoenix Mercury. Not bad for someone who’s apparently already mentally decorating her hypothetical five (or seven) championship rings. And just for fun, she averaged 23.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game during the postseason—because why not?
So, could a Collier-Moore duo have taken over the WNBA? Well, it’s fun to imagine them collecting trophies like they’re on a shopping spree, but as it stands, Collier’s got her own dynasty to build. With her 2024 playoff heroics and another dominant season under her belt, the real question is: How long until Collier adds some real rings to that wild prediction?
Maybe she’ll start with five after all. Or seven. Heck, why stop there?
