“Defense leads to offense,” Napheesa Collier shared on October 10th after her game-winning performance in Game 1 of the Finals. The power forward scored 21 points, with 8 rebounds and 6 blocks to lead the Lynx to an improbable victory. Even her toughest critic, Sheryl Swoopes, acknowledged her impressive gameplay. But it seems the effect has now faded.

In Sunday’s Game 2 between the Liberty and the Lynx, Collier seemed a bit off. It was the Liberty’s unmatched defense that kept her limited to just 16 points. While the Lynx couldn’t perform well as a collective unit for most of the game, Collier’s foul trouble limited her production on the night.

A reality check for Napheesa Collier

After scoring 20+ points in four consecutive games, Collier had an off night. While she shot a respectable 7-12 from the field, Collier had 16 total points. She led the team in scoring but her four fouls impacted her on the defensive side of things as she had zero blocks. To make matters worse, she committed seven turnovers in 35 minutes of gameplay.”We played really bad,” Collier admitted. But what happened?

Similar to the last game, the Lynx started this game slow, with Collier not adding any points in the first quarter. While she had 6 in the second period, it wasn’t enough as the other stars on the team weren’t up to the mark either. By the time the fourth quarter started, Collier had 12 points and must have been thinking of a repeat of Game 1. However, that didn’t happen as she only added 4 points.

Collier ended the night with a +/- of -7. This was arguably her worst performance since Game 2 of the Semis against the Connecticut Sun, where she had 9 points on a poor 3-12 shooting from the field. Maybe Game 2s are her kryptonite? If she can bounce back the same way she did in the last series, the Lynx won’t have much to worry about. How did the game unfold, though?

What exactly happened?

The Lynx loosened the reins early, allowing New York to build a 10-point lead in the first quarter. Though they tried to mount a comeback in the second, they could not cut down the lead heading to the locker rooms. The second half opened with the same intensity. At this point, Collier was still struggling to find her rhythm on the hardwood.

With 4:01 left in the third period, the Lynx seemed ready for their next move. Unfortunately, Collier picked up her fourth personal foul at the time. This opened the gates for the Liberty to extend their lead to eight points with less than 10 minutes remaining. But it seemed like a repeat of Game 1 was on the cards for Minnesota.

Napheesa Collier’s layup with 5:36 remaining made it a one-possession game with the Lynx only trailing 64-66. However, that proved to be Phee’s last contribution in this game as the floodgates opened for New York. Courtney Williams scored the Lynx’s final points of the game with 3:40 left to make it 66-68. The Liberty went on a 12-0 run following this, sealing the much-needed victory.

The Liberty tied the series 1-1 after snatching a 66-80 win in Game 2. While they lost Game 2, the Lynx will be happy going back to Minnesota with the series tied 1-1. They have a chance to close it out on their home-court. Will they be able to do it? Game 3 is on Wednesday.