St. Louisan Napheesa Collier made history on Tuesday night in leading the Minnesota Lynx to a berth in the WNBA Finals.
The former Incarnate Word Academy star scored a game-high 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Lynx past the Connecticut Sun 88-77 in the fifth and deciding game of the WNBA semifinals.
Collier became the first player in WNBA history to have at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in three consecutive playoff games. She also added four assists and four blocked shots as she dominated the game at both ends of the court.
Veteran point guard Courtney Williams provided ample support for Collier as she had 24 points, five rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Guard Kayla McBride added 19 points for the Lynx, who will be making their first Finals appearance since 2017.
The Lynx will be taking on the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals in a best of five series. It will be a battle of the league’s top two teams as the Liberty finished the regular season with the league’s best record with the Lynx right behind in second. The Lynx won three of the four meetings in the regular season, which included the championship game of the midseason Commissioner’s Cup on June 25. Collier was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Game 1 of the WNBA Finals will be held on Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tip-off time is 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.
WNBA Finals Schedule
Game 1: Minnesota at New York, Thursday, October 10, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 2: Minnesota at New York, Sunday, October 13, 2 p.m. (ABC)
Game 3: New York at Minnesota, Wednesday, October 16, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
*Game 4: New York at Minnesota, Friday, October 18, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
*Game 5: Minnesota at New York, Sunday, October 20, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
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