Napheesa Collier fumbled the bag hard in Game 2 of the semi-finals against the Connecticut Sun. The Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) couldn’t continue her sizzling postseason scoring streak as the Sun showed why they are the best defensive team in the WNBA. However, it wasn’t just her underwhelming 9-point game that took center stage. A scuffle with Marina Mabrey in the second quarter took all the limelight.

Coming into Game 2 at the Target Center, Collier was shouldering the highest expectations. In the first-round series against the Mercury, her career-high 38-point Game 1 and a record-breaking 42-point Game 2 shot her into bigger stardom. Though head coach Cheryl Reeve knew such scoring was hard to keep up, Collier somewhat sustained it in Game 1 of the semi-finals with a team-high 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. Though the Lynx lost, her reputation was untouched.

However, the Sun’s physically challenging defense was biting into the Lynx. And in Game 2, Collier finally yielded. In the 2nd quarter, when the Lynx were up 26-24, she dived and clutched onto the loose ball under the basket. But the Sun’s miracle mid-season find Marina Mabrey went after it too, attempting to snatch it, and pushing Collier further down when doing so. As the ref called a jump ball, Collier shoved Mabrey off of her and the refs were forced to intervene. Naturally, the crowd went wild as noise filled the Target Center.

Though Napheesa Collier calmed down in a matter of seconds, it seemed to have rattled her game. Mabrey, who led the Sun to their Game 1 win with 6 3s, got Collier good. The DPOY scored only 9 points despite playing a full 40 minutes, shooting only 3-of-14 from the field, and 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. Though fans on social media lambasted her, she led the team in rebounds (12) and assists (5), and the Lynx leveled the series 1-1.

How Napheesa Collier’s “aggression” translated into the Lynx’s success

The Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx are the two best defensive teams this season. The Sun leads their semi-final rivals by 0.7 points in defensive rating – 94.1 to 94.8. However, this wasn’t the case a year ago. In 2023, the Lynx were the third-worst defensive team, with a rating of 105.7. The Sun, meanwhile, ranked second with a 98.8 rating. So how did the Lynx close the gap so easily within a year? Allow Napheesa Collier to explain it.

After the 6’1 Power Forward was bestowed with the Defensive Player of the Year award, she explained her perspective on the complimentary nature of offense and defense. “I think it’s just having that overall aggression on both sides of the ball. We always are saying defense leads the offense because it lets you get in transition and it lets you push the pace,” she said, as per ESPN.

The runner-up to A’ja Wilson in the MVP race also commended the entire team around her for stepping up. “It lets you get the other team on their heels, so we take a lot of pride in our defense and it’s something that obviously I’ve worked hard to improve because I know it’s what’s best for the team,” she added.

In tonight’s Game 2, though she underperformed offensively, the team covered for her. Overall, they shot 45% from the field and 42% from beyond the arc compared to the Sun’s subpar 36% and 25% respectively. For the Lynx, this series is an opportunity to avenge their first-round knockout against the same rivals in 2023. Only this time, there is much more at stake.