The WNBA Finals Game 1 resembled a thriller film. The New York Liberty blew the game away not once but twice in the fourth quarter. And, on the other end, the visitors, the Minnesota Lynx, grabbed the opportunity thankfully with both hands, leaving fans in Barclays Center stunned. It wasn’t just the fans but also NBA superstars such as Chris Paul and Trae Young who felt the impact. Especially, Lynx’s Napheesa Collier’s game-winner turned into the talking point of the win.

After the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart blew the opportunity to win the game with a free throw with a second left in regulation time, the game went into overtime. Here Collier took control, dropping the game-winning bucket to seal a 95-93 win. This ultimately put them 1-0 up in the 5-game Finals series.

Impressed by his wife’s performance, Alex Bazzell wrote, “My wife is Her.” And it certainly didn’t go unnoticed, as Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young reposted it on his X handle and wrote, “No cap! Pheeee!!!” On the other hand, another guard too seemed to have enjoyed the action. Chris Paul, impressed by the thriller, took to his X handle and wrote, “Lynx vs Liberty game is so damn good!! Great Basketball being played!!!!! Big shot-making!!” 

Not to forget that LeBron James had predicted Napheesa’s brilliance a week earlier. Impressed by her performance in the playoff series against the Connecticut Sun, James wrote, “FACTS!!! She’s a BEAST! Game so damn smooth and complete! TOUGH,” on X reposting, Tyrese Haliburton’s post that read, “Napheesa been killing!!” It’s important to note that Collier didn’t just shine out of nowhere. The DPOY winner came runner-up in the MVP award race. So, we might witness more of it in the coming days.

Can the Liberty survive the Napheesa Collier storm?

The New York Liberty literally handed over the win on a platter. At one point in the game, the NY side held an 18-point lead and looked like producing a blowout win. Moreover, the team even had a 15-point lead with 5 minutes left in the game. This is where nerves kicked in and it all out went south. Liberty let the Lynx make a magical comeback with a 14-2 bringing the lead down to 3 points.

However, it wasn’t easy for the Lynx either. With only 18 seconds remaining on the clock, Courtney Williams made a crucial three-pointer in the second attempt and also extracted a foul, making it a four-point play. This is when the Lynx came back into the game with a 1-point lead. Nevertheless, the Liberty had another opportunity to win the game after the refs offered two free throws. Breanna Steward missed the second FT and the game started from scratch. And as we all now know, Napheesa dropped the game-winning fader.

Following the game, Collier established the team’s mood for the upcoming games. She said, “We’ve been in that position before. Just stay strong,” speaking of the 18-point comeback. However, it was a WNBA Finals record. Moreover, she also added, “This is the Finals. No one cares if you’re tired.” Do you think Collier could replicate a similar performance in the remainder of the games and win the Finals MVP? Let us know in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.