Another day, another record for Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier. Fans in the WNBA have been blessed to witness the 28-year-old’s unstoppable dominance on the court. After a career-high 38 points against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 of their first-round matchup, she went one step further, scoring 42 points to propel her team to the semifinals. Anyone who has followed the Jefferson, Missouri native knows that this rise isn’t surprising to see. She had an equally impressive and record-breaking run while playing for the University of Connecticut.

Her journey to UConn wasn’t without a tussle with the complexities of the world. When the McDonald’s All-American was refused by the only AAU team in Jefferson City, it seemed all doors were closed to Collier, who wanted to compete. However, her family found a new way and started their own team, the Lady Warriors.

Throughout her four years in college, she channeled the same energy. As a freshman, she played in 38 games and started in nine. This was the beginning of her remarkable career as a UConn player. In a game against Louisiana State University, Collier recorded her first double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. She achieved an impressive shooting percentage of 53% as she averaged 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. The Huskies went on to win the National Championship that season. During her sophomore year, she took her game to the next level.

This time, she was able to start all 37 games and scored double digits in all but one. She averaged 20.4 points per game along with 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Impressively, she shot 67.8% from the field, the fourth-best mark in the country. Collier was a crucial force in leading the UConn Huskies to the Final Four that year. She was named an AP First Team All-American, and AAC Player of the Year among other accolades. There was a change in her junior year, but it was a positive one.

Averaging 16.1 points per game, she continued to rack up accolades to flaunt on her resume. She was named the AP Second Team All-American as the Huskies reached the Final Four once again. However, similar to last year, their season ended at that stage once more. In her senior year, she was phenomenal.

She set a record of 25 double-doubles, including eight consecutive to end the season. With an average of 10.8 rebounds per game, she led the team and ranked fourth in rebounds overall. Collier recorded the most rebounds in a season for UConn with 411 and the second-most points with 792 during her senior year. This year, the 28-year-old was awarded the Katrina McClain Award for Power Forward of the Year from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Averaging 20.8 points per game, her charm and confidence radiated in each of her games. But things could have been different.

Napheesa Collier didn’t want to join UConn

Interestingly, Napheesa never wanted to be a part of the UConn program. As one might assume, the WNBA star had several offers, and her reason for rejecting UConn was quite unusual but understandable. The team had achieved so much success that Collier realized she would rather beat them than join them. However, after a visit to the campus, she changed her mind. The environment and the people made her realize that she belonged there. And she left her mark on the program’s record books.

With a remarkable total of 2,401 points, she ranks as the third-highest scorer in UConn’s history. She is fourth in rebounds with 1,219, seventh in career blocks with 251. She is only one of five Huskies to record at least 2000 points and 1000 rebounds. And the list goes on.

After an impressive college career, she was selected as the sixth pick by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2019 WNBA Draft. Since then, she has continued to make history, winning the Rookie of the Year (ROTY) honor first and being named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team. She is a 4x All-Star and finished 2nd in MVP voting this year as well as being named the AP Defensive Player of the Year. Things are only looking up for the 28-year-old.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.