The Minnesota Lynx and their leader are used to being overlooked. At the start of the season, ESPN put them as 9th out of 12 teams in power ranking. Near the end of the season, not only did Napheesa Collier win the Defensive Player of the Year award, but the Lynx are also playing the top seed in the Finals. And miraculously, they just won Game 1. While there has been a lot of debate around Collier’s performance this season, her No. 1 fan remains her husband.

Alex Bazzell, a WNBA and NBA trainer, got married to Collier in 2022 after dating for a few years and has been her biggest supporter. When the Lynx forward took to Instagram to post pictures of her teammates with the caption, “My dawgs 🐶”, Bazzell was among the first few commenters. Along with adding fire emojis, he also wrote, “My 🐐”, a topic that has been hotly debated this year. So, do we have another GOAT in the making in the WNBA?

In a season of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier often got pushed to the side. But used to being underestimated, it makes it that much easier for Collier and Co. to pull surprise wins even over a team like the Liberty. Although Collier finished second in MVP voting, some would have liked to see her at the top. On the other hand, one section of fans would have rather had A’ja Wilson win the DPOY. But sooner or later, an MVP trophy is going to sit in the Lynx player’s cabinet.

Her teammates also took to the comments section, with Courtney Williams writing, “YEAHHHHHHHHH 🔥🔥” while Dorka Juhasz wrote, “Déjà vu!🔥🔥” Kayla McBride added a bunch of dog faces and paw print emojis, while Natisha Hiedeman wrote, “DOGS!!!” Not only do her teammates look up to her, but have taken valuable lessons on and off the court as well.

Williams, who has been on a few W teams to know how things work, thinks there is no other like Napheesa Collier. “She’s just different, like the way she moves — you would think she was a role player, and that’s rare, because she’s a bonafide superstar, you know what I’m saying?” the Lynx guard tells SB Nation. “She sets the tone for everybody, because it’s like, if your best player can be coachable, who are you to not be coachable?”

A popular presence in the locker room, Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve thinks there’s not as much buzz around Napheesa Collier as there should be. But she also knows her talented player is changing the narrative.

“She’s coming”: Cheryl Reeve warns A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart of Napheesa Collier

Wilson created history this season in several respects, but her team is done for the season. Rather, Napheesa Collier is going against former UConn teammate and business partner Breanna Stewart in this best-of-five series. And she’ll fight on an equal level. Something, she has already proven by becoming the 2024 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup MVP right in the home arena of the New York Liberty. Then, she not only took away Liberty’s title from 2023 at Barclay’s but also proved her point of being just as worthy of the attention as anyone else.

As Cheryl Reeve said, “People always kind of go, ‘she’s good, but she’s not quite A’ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart.’ That’s what everybody thinks, right? But she’s coming. She’s working hard to change that narrative. She doesn’t really care what people think — I do.”

If the Lynx end up winning this, Napheesa Collier will be unstoppable. Finally coming out of the figurative woodwork, she might finally receive the recognition Reeve thinks she deserves. But even if it’s the Liberty who end up winning, Collier’s indomitable season and postseason will still put her on the map.