Naphessa Collier had one of her best seasons ever: she led the Minnesota Lynx to their third straight postseason, became only the second WNBA player to achieve a 50-40-90 season, and posted her highest scoring average. Still, she didn’t win the MVP, and fans believe they know the real reason for the snub.
Collier’s numbers seem compelling: 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. She also shot 53% from the field, 40.3% from three-point range, and 90.6% from the free throw line. She was also a key player in helping the Lynx secure their third straight playoff berth, their sixth since she joined the team in 2019.
Even so, “Phee” finished second in the season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting with 534 points, a far cry from the 657 points scored by the winner, A’ja Wilson. In addition to being furious, fans immediately offered a darker reason for the snub: Collier’s relationship with Unrivaled.
The WNBA snubbed Napheesa because of Unrivaled
“Phee got iced out of the end-of-season individual awards. I’m sorry to put on my conspiracy hat, but I feel like her starting Unrivaled has something to do with it,” said one user on X (formerly Twitter). The comment refers to the 3×3 basketball league, which Collier founded with Breanna Stewart.
“After the season Napheesa just had, there is no way she ONLY had 18 first-place votes. It seems like a vendetta because of Unrivaled. IYKYK,” another user agreed. Another said, “Unrivaled and UConn… double whammy,” the latter referring to the so-called “UConn Mafia,” the group of WNBA and NCAA coaches who are Huskies alumni.
Unrivaled was born as an initiative by Collier and Stewart to allow players to earn income during the WNBA offseason without having to play abroad. However, rumors suggest that since the 3×3 tournament has gained popularity among fans, the league sees it as a serious rival.
Despite everything, Collier is focused on a bigger goal.
Napheesa is only thinking about the championship
After winning their first-round playoff series against the Golden State Valkyries and winning the first game of the semifinal against the Phoenix Mercury, Collier and the Lynx are completely focused on winning the title that has eluded them since 2016.
That’s why Collier isn’t paying attention to the recent controversy. “The team is way bigger than me. Whatever my personal goals are, I’m here for the team. And right now, we’re focused on a championship. So, it was easy not to think about that,” she said. In the end, if they lift the championship trophy, everything else is secondary.
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