Three weeks without WNBA action
Napheesa Collier is back in Minnesota with a gold medal. The Lynx forward helped Team USA beat France in the FIBA World Cup final. Asked for her best memory of the tournament, she didn’t hesitate: “The best part was winning at the end.”
The league resumes on Friday night in Minneapolis. The Lynx (31-9) host the New York Liberty (24-16). It will be the first game in a month for both teams after the WNBA shut down on August 31 to let its international players compete.
Three weeks off in the middle of a tight race is unusual. For both sides, it has basically been a second training camp.
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Collier still not at full strength
Collier missed the start of the season after ankle surgery. She has played only 12 games, averaging 18.0 points, making her the Lynx’s third-leading scorer behind rookie Olivia Miles (19.7) and Kayla McBride (18.1). The bigger story is how well Minnesota managed without her: 31 wins and 9 losses, the best record in the league.
“I don’t think I’m at 100%,” Collier admitted. “But I feel better every game. I’m still getting stronger, working on my power, my strength, my agility, trying to be the best version of myself when the playoffs come around.”
The schedule won’t give her much breathing room. The playoffs are only days away.
New York made the most of the break
The Liberty went into the pause on a run of 11 wins in 15 games. Sabrina Ionescu says the group came out of it in better shape.
“We did a lot of good work,” the guard said. “I think we responded well when we came back and, frankly, I think we got better.”
She also used the time away from games to lean into treatment. “More aggressive treatment, work you can’t really do when you’re playing every other day,” she explained. “I knew I had several days to recover afterwards, without having to prepare for a game.”
Breanna Stewart remains New York’s main weapon with 20.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Ionescu follows at 15.1 points.
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