MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The WNBA today named Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played August 10 through August 16. The Player of the Week award is the second of her career and first this season.
The 6-foot-1 forward led Minnesota to its third consecutive winning week, keeping the Lynx in third place in the WNBA standings at 7-3 overall. During the week, Collier averaged 18.3 points on 46.2% shooting, including 42.9% from deep, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 32.7 minutes per game.
She hauled down a then-career-high 12 rebounds in the 68-48 victory over Washington on Aug. 11, helping Minnesota register its best defensive performance in seven years (since a 73-47 win vs. New York on Aug. 27, 2013). Collier then surpassed her career-best rebound total two nights later vs. Las Vegas, grabbing 14 to go with a team-high 21 points for her third career 20+ point/10+ rebound effort. She capped the week with a game-high 26 points (one shy of her career best), 13 rebounds and a career-high five assists in the Aug. 15 win over New York, becoming just the third player in Lynx history to collect 25+ points/10+ rebounds/5+ assists in a game (Maya Moore four times, Sylvia Fowles once). Collier added two steals and two blocks against New York for a combination (25+ points/10+ rebounds/5+ assists/2+ steals/2+ blocks) that only three other players in WNBA history have achieved (Candace Parker, Angel McCoughtry, Tina Charles).
Collier currently ranks 13th in the WNBA in scoring (14.9 ppg), third in rebounding (9.0 rpg), sixth in steals (1.70 spg) and sixth among forwards in assists (3.3 apg).
Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
The Lynx play next on Wednesday, August 19 against the Dallas Wings. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CT and the game can be seen on Fox Sports North PLUS.