Napheesa Collier's big night ousts Sun, sends Lynx to WNBA Finals - ESPN

MINNEAPOLIS — As fans cheered and exchanged high-fives around her, Napheesa Collier ran toward the front row and wrapped former Minnesota Lynx star Lindsay Whalen in a bear hug. Then, she danced with her teammates as Kool & The Gang's «Celebration» echoed throughout the Target Center.

Collier added another triumph to her burgeoning legacy, leading a blue-collar collection of talent to the WNBA Finals with Tuesday night's 88-77 victory over the Connecticut Sun in Game 5. The Lynx will face the New York Liberty for the championship, stamping a new chapter for a franchise that dominated the WNBA during a run of four titles from 2011 to 2017 but will be making its first Finals appearance since.

«The fact that we have worked so hard and we genuinely just like each other so much, it just makes it all sweeter,» said Collier, who finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks. «It makes you want to win for them, too. It's not just like you want to get the accolade of winning a championship. You want to do it for your teammates as well. I think that makes the ride so much sweeter. We want to keep playing because we want to stay together.»

Minneapolis is a town full of young sports stars, but Collier is the queen now. Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson are two of the best players in their respective leagues, but only Collier can boast that she has led her team to the brink of a championship.

Throughout the playoffs, Collier been fearless. In the first round, she said she wanted to retire Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi, who had toyed with the possibility of ending her decorated career throughout the 2024 season. Collier scored 42 points in Game 2 of that series, tying a WNBA