NEW YORK (AP) — Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx, who both had No. 2 finishes in the regular season, were on the verge of being No. 1 when it mattered most.
The Lynx were seconds away from a record fifth WNBA championship with perhaps a WNBA Finals MVP award waiting for Collier, whose flurry late in regulation had her team in the lead in the final minute.
They couldn't hold on.
The New York Liberty rallied for a 67-62 victory in overtime, denying the Lynx what would have been a WNBA-record fifth championship.
Collier, the runner-up to unanimous MVP A'ja Wilson in the regular season, scored 22 points before having to watch the final seconds from the bench after fouling out of a game Minnesota seemed poised to win just a few minutes earlier.
Like coach Cheryl Reeve, who said the game was “stolen” from the Lynx, she was frustrated with officiating and felt she was being held on some occasions, though credited the Liberty for making adjustments.
“They turned up the pressure,” she said. “It’s the end of the game. Of course we are both trying to win. They turned up the pressure, and we got a couple turnovers.”
The Lynx controlled the first half but had fallen into a 56-52 hole on Sabrina Ionescu’s 3-pointer with 3:10 remaining. Then Collier, who started strong, got going again. She had Minnesota’s next three baskets, with her drive past Breanna Stewart giving the Lynx a 60-58 edge with 1:04 to go.
“Obviously the exclamation point to the incredible season that she had,” Reeve said. “You know, Napheesa showed up big time for this team. Put us in a position to be within seconds of a championship. Phee was phenomenal.”
But Minnesota wouldn't score again until New York had scored the next seven points, tying it on Stewart's free throws with 5.2 seconds left and going ahead 65-60 in the extra period.
Collier finished with seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal. The WNBA's Defensive Player of the Year played all but 35 seconds of the 45-minute game, and most of what she missed is because she committed the foul to stop the clock with 13 seconds remaining in OT.
It was clearly a fantastic season for the forward, who averaged 20.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in her sixth year out of UConn. She also won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team and helped the Lynx notch a franchise-record 30 wins and earn the No. 2 seed.
But if Game 5 plays out differently, she might have also picked up a WNBA Finals MVP trophy, joining the elite Lynx players from the past to have done so.
Sylvia Fowles won it in 2015 and 2017 after their last two championships. Seimone Augustus, enshrined last week in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, was the winner in 2011 and Maya Moore two years later.
The Lynx believe similar accolades could be on the way for Collier.
“We just have so much confidence in who she is on and off the court, and I’m lucky to be alongside of her. I’m just in awe,” said Kayla McBride, who scored 21 points. “She’s had an amazing season and amazing postseason obviously. Can’t wait to see what she does in the future.”
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Brian Mahoney, The Associated Press