The WNBA announced that Minnesota Lynx forward, Napheesa Collier, has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Friday, May 16 through Sunday, May 25. This marks Collier’s first of the season and eighth in her career, taking sole possession of second place for most weekly awards by any Lynx player.
Collier opened the season averaging 29.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks in 35.0 minutes per game, helping Minnesota to its best start since 2017. After leading all scoring in each of Minnesota’s first four games, Collier joins Maya Moore (2014) as the only players in franchise history to start the season with four consecutive 20+ point games.
In the Lynx 99-84 season opener against Dallas on May 16, Collier posted 34 points, the most ever in a season opener by the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and her 18 points in the third quarter tied for second in the Lynx record books for most points scored in a single quarter (Sims, Moore, Fowles). Collier also added 4 rebounds and 4 assists in the game.
On May 18 against the Los Angeles Sparks, Collier led the scoring for Minnesota with 23 points, adding 6 rebounds (3 offensive), 2 steals and a block during Minnesota’s 89-75 first road win of the season over Los Angeles.
During Minnesota’s 85-81 win over Dallas on May 21, Collier led scoring with 28 points, shooting 12-12 from the free-throw line, which is the second-most made free throws in a single by a Lynx (Augustus, 13). The 6-1 forward also posted 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block on the night.
In the Lynx 76-70 comeback win against the Sun on May 23, Collier recorded her third career 30+ pts/10+ reb game, totaling 33 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Her performance helped the team overcome a 15-point fourth quarter deficit, making the 2025 Lynx only the second team to ever overcome such a deficit in WNBA history (Minnesota owns both, 7/9/2004 vs PHX). Collier also became the first player to score 100 points in the WNBA this season.
The Lynx (5-0) will travel to Phoenix to face the Mercury on Friday, May 30 before heading to Golden State to take on the Valkyries on Sunday, June 1.
(info courtesy of Lynx)
