Napheesa Collier Wins Minnesota Professional Athlete Of The Year

What a year it’s been for Lynx forward Napheesa Collier.

Collier was the sixth overall pick by the Lynx out of Connecticut.

There were some question marks on how Collier’s game would translate. Would she be able to shoot? What position would she play?

It turns out, yes, she can shoot (Collier shot 49 percent and 36.4 percent from the 3-point line). And what position can she play? Pretty much all of them.

As a rookie, Collier was an All-Star and was named Rookie of the Year after averaging 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

The Lynx came into the season not sure who the next face of the franchise would be.

Question answered.

On Wednesday, Collier was named the Minnesota Professional Athlete of the Year, beating out the Twins’ Nelson Cruz and Vikings’ Adam Thielen.

It actually marked the third-straight year a member of the Lynx has won the award. In 2018, Lindsay Whalen won, while in 2017, Sylvia Fowles won.

To win as a rookie is a pretty significant feat for Collier. The nice thing for Lynx fans is that this is just the beginning.