College Teammates Collier, Dangerfield Spark Lynx In Comeback Over Sun
Cody Sharrett
July 26, 2020
Somewhere, Geno Auriemma is smiling.
For a few moments on Sunday afternoon, Bradenton, Fla. felt a lot like Storrs, Conn. as his former UConn Huskies Napheesa Collier and Crystal Dangerfield sparked the Minnesota Lynx to victory in their 2020 WNBA season opener over the Connecticut Sun, 77-69. After both were held scoreless in the first half of Sunday’s contest and Collier dealt with foul trouble, the duo ignited a spark for Minnesota to combine for 21 points in the second half.
Collier and Dangerfield compiled a 107-5 record in their three years together at UConn, including a 48-0 conference record and three trips to the Final Four.
“It felt really good, first of all, to play with Crystal again in a game,” Collier said of the reunion postgame. “I’m so proud of how Crystal did coming out with her first WNBA game. She really set the tone for us, especially in the second half. We really fed off her energy.
“It felt good to be back in Storrs for a little bit.”
In Dangerfield’s WNBA debut, she poured in 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting in just under 21 minutes of work. Collier finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, and four assists to begin her second season as a pro.
“It seemed kinda surreal,” Dangerfield said of sparking the Lynx in her first WNBA game. “We did a great job as a team. We turned up our intensity, that was the challenge Coach had for us at halftime. We went out there and took care of our job.”
The Lynx trailed 57-51 with 8:24 on the clock when Dangerfield stole and scored an errant Sun pass in transition. On the next possession, she slithered her way to the basket for an easy layup to make it a 57-55 game with under eight minutes to go in regulation. The Lynx would go on to out score Connecticut 22-12 in the remaining eight minutes, with Collier accounting for nine points and two assists in that timeframe before fouling out.
“We were just looking for something different at the guard spot, and she made the most of it,” Reeve said of Dangerfield’s spark. “That’s what UConn players do. She’s ready; she’s confident.”
Of Collier, Reeve said bluntly: “She was just awful for three quarters, we were letting her know…But we know Napheesa Collier is never going to quit. She’s gonna leave it all out there and whatever happens happens. She made her one breaks and she really just kinda started cashing in on some stuff.
“She was a big reason why we won the game; that’s Napheesa Collier.”