Another day of practice has gone by for the Lynx and everything is still clicking nicely. The energy and intensity that were there on Tuesday showed up again on Wednesday and head coach Cheryl Reeve is confident in how her team looks heading into their last two games.

It’s been a long road and things haven’t been easy this season, but the squad is peaking at the right time.

“I just feel like, even in today’s practice, you’re just seeing signs of maturity that maybe if this was a month ago, what would have happened? I can’t say for sure that we won’t revert back, but I think this team knows so much about who they are—the good, the bad, the ugly. You can feel the ugly coming on, hopefully they understand how to avoid it,” Reeve said. “Hopefully we’re hard to play against, but we also know that when you get to the point where you’re in the playoffs, everybody’s going to be hard to play against.”

A big part of the Lynx’s transformation has been the growth of Napheesa Collier. The young forward, who should be the frontrunner for WNBA Rookie of the Year, has grown into a more confident scorer, a better shooter and a more versatile all-around player as the year has gone by. To her teammates, that constant growth is no surprise. Seimone Augustus was asked after practice on Wednesday when she knew Collier had a chance to be a special player.

“The first day she stepped in here. She put in work. Every day before practice, after practice, she’s in here getting up shots, individual workouts, she’s in here working with Walt [Hopkins]. She knows where she needs to get better, she knows how to put in the work to get better, and that’s something you admire from a rookie,” said Augustus.

If you ask Augustus, there is no question that Collier should be Rookie of the Year. She simply does too much, too well for it to be any other way. Though her competition—Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale—is putting up more points, Collier is the better all-around player by a mile. Augustus also thinks it sets a bad precedent to have the ROY always be determined by scoring totals. Basketball is more than a scoring game.

“We have to get more consistent with what we go by to determine [the Rookie of the Year]. Is it going to be points? Is it going to be overall year full of stats and games? Head-to-head matchups? Because if it’s just points, then you’re going to create a situation where you’re putting up 20-30 shots a game just trying to get your buckets,” said Augustus. “In a situation like this, what are we going to look at? The body of work? Or the quantity of shots and points you’re able to put up in a short span of time?”

With all the focus on Collier, it’s important to remember that the Lynx have another rookie on their roster—forward Jessica Shepard, who has been sidelined for much of the year with a torn ACL. However, Shepard has not wasted that time even though she hasn’t been able to suit up. She has been at every practice, in the locker room and on the bench at games. She is vocal and present and focused on making sure she uses this year as an opportunity, even if it isn’t necessarily the opportunity she wanted.

“I hope she’s learned a lot in watching. She’s been great. If we’re trying to run some stuff, end of game situations, she’ll walk by and say something,” said Reeve. “She’s not afraid to speak up. I think she’s going to be a good player. We just have to get her back healthy and keep her healthy. She’s just a great voice to have around.”

Fellow injured Lynx player Karima Christmas-Kelly has been similarly valuable. She doesn’t shy away from playing an important role on the team. An extra pair of eyes from the sidelines can come in handy.

“We’ve had a great group this way,” said Reeve. “You don’t want to have as many injuries as we’ve had, but they’ve handled it in the way you want them to handle it and they’ve stayed engaged. You see Karima at practice, she’s the one calling them over to talk to them. She’s engaged every possession, and that’s hard to do. When it’s not you out there, it’s hard to do. It’s very mature, and both Jess and Karima are very mature.”