Napheesa Collier is an All-Star!

The WNBA announced on Monday that Collier has been named as the injury replacement for A’Ja Wilson at the 2019 All-Star Game. She will join fellow Lynx players Sylvia Fowles and Odyssey Sims.

Being named to an All-Star team as a rookie is a massive accomplishment. Collier is in the midst of a phenomenal rookie season and this recognition is well-deserved. Very few rookies come into the league as ready to contribute in as many ways as Collier has this year.

Collier is averaging 11.0 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 31.3 percent from deep and adding 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals (third in the league) and 1.0 blocks per game. Collier is third on the team in points, second in rebounds, first in steals and second in blocks. She is the first Lynx rookie to make an All-Star team since Maya Moore in 2011 and one of four rookies in the history of the franchise to do so.

“It’s such an amazing honor to be named an All-Star and I’m excited to not only play with my own teammates who are great, but to play with the other amazing players in this league,” said Collier. “I’m really looking forward to a fun weekend and getting to Las Vegas.”

It has seemed all year like Collier is on track to develop into a player who could be a potential contender in the Defensive Player of the Year race as well as a reliable option on offense. Being named to this team is a clear indicator that Collier is moving in the right direction and this certainly will not be the last time Collier plays in an All-Star Game. Collier has also developed a solid following around the WNBA—she finished fourth in All-Star fan voting.

This will be the seventh-consecutive All-Star Game that the Lynx have had three players represented. That is a huge win for the organization and a testament to the way it supports and develops its players. While Collier is the first person to deserve credit for making the team it says something about the Lynx coaching staff that they were able to put a rookie in a position to succeed at such a high level.

As the season has gone on, Collier has constantly adapted her game to help her team. First, she switched positions and learned to play a small-forward role for the wing-needy Lynx, then switched again and played successfully against much bigger players at the power forward position when the Lynx were hit with a string of injuries. Throughout all this, Collier has constantly maintained a level-headedness and receptiveness to coaching that has endeared her to everyone throughout the organization.

While Collier’s offensive production still comes and goes—she has barely played half a season of WNBA ball—her effort and intensity, focus on the defensive end and commitment to rebounding doesn’t change. As she continues to expand her comfort level on the Lynx and in the WNBA, her numbers will continue to rise. However, it is a credit to the league that they recognized Collier’s undeniable contributions to the Lynx this season and rewarded her with a memorable rookie-year All-Star appearance.