Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier has won WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Collier, a four-time All-Star, has had a stellar season, averaging 20.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, as well as 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks. The 28-year-old forward finished second in MVP voting behind unanimous MVP winner A’ja Wilson.
Earlier this week, Collier led Minnesota to the semifinals off of two dominant postseason performances, scoring 80 total points — a WNBA first — in the two-game sweep over the Phoenix Mercury
In her sixth season in the WNBA, Collier has established herself as dominant force on both sides of the court. Collier sits in the top ten in the WNBA for several major categories, including points, rebounds, steals and blocks, both per game and with totals.
She is third in the league for rebounds per game and second for steals per game, providing a strong defensive presence while still racking up points on offense. Nearly all of her season-long averages mark career-highs for the Minnesota forward.
Collier, who has taken on even more of a leadership role with this Lynx squad, averaged 34.7 minutes per game this season — a career-high and the third highest in the league. The Lynx finished the regular season with a 30-10 record, the second-best record in the WNBA.
Other than Wilson and Collier, the other four WNBA awards were rounded out by Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington, who took home Most Improved Player earlier this week, and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, who has reportedly won Rookie of the Year. Clark and Collier’s awards have not been officially announced, but were seemingly leaked in an unrelated statement released by the WNBPA on Friday, prior to Charania’s report.
After sweeping the Mercury, Collier and the Lynx will face off against the Sun in a best-of-five semifinal. The first game will take place in Minnesota on Sunday.
