Napheesa Collier’s Heroics Leaves Nike Stuck With Huge Choice to Make at NY Liberty vs Minnesota Lynx WNBA Finals

The Minnesota Lynx are heading to the finals! In a thrilling semifinals series that felt like a seesaw battle, the Lynx clinched their spot with a nail-biting 3-2 victory over the Connecticut Sun in Game 5. Now, Napheesa Collier and her teammates are gearing up to face off against the New York Liberty in the championship showdown. However, this exciting matchup has created a bit of a dilemma for sportswear giant Nike.

As the Lynx prepare to face the Liberty in the finals, all eyes will be on an intriguing individual showdown: Napheesa Collier versus Sabrina Ionescu. Both players have been instrumental in their teams’ journeys to this moment. However, what makes this matchup even more fascinating is their shared connection to Nike. This association could put the sportswear giant in a bit of a tricky spot as they navigate the rivalry between these two standout athletes.

Napheesa Collier’s connection with Nike runs deep. It all started back in 2020, when she participated in the Champs Sports Nike Holiday Campaign. That initial collaboration was just the tip of the iceberg. After taking some time off to welcome her daughter, Collier made waves in the sneaker community by launching her own player-exclusive Nike KD15 shoes. But that’s not all—she also appeared in Nike’s “One-on-One” series, engaging in an unscripted conversation with fellow basketball star Sylvia Fowles.

Just like Collier, her final opponent, Sabrina Ionescu, has also enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Nike. She signed her first endorsement deal with the brand back in 2020, which included both signature footwear and apparel. In fact, it was just last year that the Nike Sabrina 1s hit the market, marking her debut as a signature shoe athlete.

“Phee and the Lynx making the Sun go down quicker than the end of daylight savings time,” Nike wrote as Collier helped Lynx beat the Connecticut Suns Tuesday night. Then when the Liberty took on the Aces, the brand referenced one of Sabrina’s earlier remarks about being energized through Spike Lee’s high-five and wrote, “Spike Lee’s high five still got the spirit of New York running through Sabrina.” 

Now, as these two incredible athletes prepare to clash in the finals, Nike finds itself in a unique position. Whom to troll? But first, much of the credit for this thrilling matchup goes to Napheesa Collier, who delivered an outstanding performance in the decisive Game 5 against the Sun in the semifinals.

Napheesa Collier’s stellar performance powers the Lynx to the Finals

When the Lynx faced off against the Sun in their playoff opener, they couldn’t snag a victory on their home court. However, as the series unfolded, they made a strong comeback with two back-to-back wins, taking the series lead. If only they had managed to seal the deal in Game 4, they could have avoided the pressure of a do-or-die Game 5. Instead, the tension mounted, leaving everything on the line as they headed into that decisive final game. Well, that’s when the reigning Defensive Player of the Year stepped up to take control.

The series finale kicked off with the Lynx delivering a commanding performance, quickly building a 13-point lead in the first quarter. By halftime, they had stretched that lead to 19 points, with Napheesa Collier already contributing 13 points to the scoreboard. Although the Sun made a valiant effort to claw their way back in the second half, they could only cut the deficit to 11 points. Ultimately, the Lynx held their ground, with Collier surpassing her first-half total by scoring even more in the second half.

The 28-year-old forward wrapped up the game as the top scorer, finishing with an impressive 27 points. She made 10 of her 16 field goal attempts and also sank six free throws. But her stellar performance wasn’t just limited to this game—she was a standout throughout the entire series, scoring over 25 points in each of the last three matchups. In total, she racked up 110 points across five games, setting the stage for what promises to be an electrifying showdown against the Liberty in the Finals.

While Liberty fans might have preferred to face the Sun, their team now has to rise to the challenge posed by the Lynx—the only squad that managed to beat them in their regular season matchup. As the two teams prepare for battle, it will be fascinating to see which Nike-sponsored athlete comes out on top and leads their team to victory.