Rain, shine, or against the Connecticut Sun’s defense like a canine, Napheesa Collier’s consistency remains just fine. The Minnesota Lynx superstar recorded a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds to dominantly crush the Sun 87-77 in Game 5. The packed Target Center Arena came alive as the Lynx advanced to their first WNBA Finals after a 7-year drought. Connecticut, known for its unparalleled defensive prowess, looked lost. But why and how did this happen?

In 2024, the Sun jumped from second in the defensive ratings to first – from 98.8 (in 2023) to 94.1. Their physical defensive style choked their opponent’s room. While they held this reputation in the first 4 games, the Lynx’s Collier-led offense proved too hot to handle in the decisive Game 5. Post-game, the Sun’s Brionna Jones explained how they lost the game in the first half itself.

“We knew coming into this game, tied series, Game 5, backs against the wall. They came out strong and unfortunately, we dug ourselves a hole in that first half,” she told reporters. “We came out in the second half and we fought, but it was… we dug ourselves too big of a hole in that first half,” Jones reiterated.

The Sun gave away 53 points in the first half – their largest defensive failure of 2024. The Lynx also took the biggest lead with 24 points in the third quarter, which again was the Sun’s largest giveaway this season. The Uncassville-based franchise allowed 40 points in the paint while managing 26 themselves. This mirrored the Aces’ similar undesirable feat against the Liberty, which ended their 3-peat pursuit.

Tonight, Napheesa Collier was on the money, both offensively and defensively, and the Sun’s 14-year veteran DeWanna Bonner gave her much-deserved flowers.

“Shellshocked” DeWanna Bonner sportingly tips her hat to Napheesa Collier

Collier averaged 20.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 steals this season. In the postseason, she recorded back-to-back career-highs with 38 and 42 points in the first-round sweeping of the Phoenix Mercury. Justifiably, she also won the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Ultimately, her mantra of “defense leads the offense” ensured the Lynx’s long-awaited success.

In Game 5 against the Sun, her 27 points came from shooting 10-of-16 (62.5%) from the field, including 1-of-2 from the deep. “She’s a great player. She made plays on both sides of the ball,” Bonner said about Collier. “She led her team all night… she was aggressive. She’s been having a great year all year. So I didn’t see that stopping this game. When she’s in rhythm, it’s tough to stop.”

Bonner, who scored 14 points on a poor 4-of-13 shooting, was also very straightforward in her analysis of their loss. “They just kind of punched us in the face, and we got shellshocked and then we couldn’t fight back,” the 6x All-Star admitted. On the other side, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was happier than ever. The WNBA Coach of the Year commended Collier’s “incredible” performance, saying, “When she plays like the MVP, we’re tough to beat.”

The Lynx will now head to New York to take on the Liberty in Game 1 of the 2024 Finals on Thursday night. Only time will tell how they can sustain this run against their top-seeded rivals, who they have sweeped in the regular season.