MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The WNBA today named Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played June 26 through July 2. The Player of the Week award is the third of her career (Aug. 25, 2019 and Aug. 7, 2020).
During the week, the 6-foot-1 forward led all scorers and rebounders in two of the three contests during the week, averaging 26.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 blocks per game during that stretch while averaging 38.7 minutes per game. She currently ranks third in the league in scoring (22.0 ppg) as well as fifth overall in steals (1.8 spg) and fifth overall in minutes played (34.3 mpg).
On June 27, Collier had a stellar game when the Lynx took on the Seattle Storm, ending the evening with a career-high and game-high 33 points, 10 rebounds and one block in 34 minutes of action. She tallied 24 of her career-high 33 points in the second half versus Seattle, tying the most prolific half by a Lynx player since Sylvia Fowles’ 26-point first half at Seattle on June 3, 2017.She becomes the fourth Lynx player to get 30+ points/10+ rebounds, joining Sylvia Fowles (2x; MR: June 25, 2021 vs. Las Vegas), Maya Moore (5x; MR: July 19, 2015 at Tulsa) and Aerial Powers (July 12, 2022 vs. Phoenix). Per Across The Timeline, Collier became the third player in WNBA history (first Lynx to do so) to tally 30+ points/10+ rebounds while shooting 50% or better from the field, perfect from the three and perfect from the free throw line. The only other players to achieve those marks are Glory Johnson (June 16, 2013, Phoenix at Tulsa) and Nneka Ogwumike (June 11, 2016, Los Angeles at Dallas).
Collier continued with another career performance on June 29 against Seattle and contributed a team-high 31 points, a team-high-tying eight rebounds, five assists and a game-high and career-high six blocks. She became the second player in WNBA history to have 30+ points/5+ rebounds/5+ assists/5+ blocks. The only other player to do so was Candace Parker who did so on July 9, 2008 vs. Houston.
Chicago’s Courtney Williams was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week.