The WNBA playoffs just started on Sunday, and already, four teams are on the brink of elimination. On Tuesday night, both the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever will fight for their playoff lives against the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces, respectively. The No. 8 Liberty stunned the No. 1 Lynx in Minneapolis, 91-75, and now have the chance to become the first No. 8 seed to topple a No. 1 seed in the history of the WNBA playoffs in front of their home crowd at Barclays Center.
Meanwhile, the No. 3 Aces trounced the No. 6 Fever 102-85, and now head to Indianapolis in search of a sweep. Here's what the Lynx and the Fever need to do to keep their seasons alive. A lot of the focus in the wake of the Lynx's Game 1 loss has been on Olivia Miles, the Rookie of the Year winner who looked very much like a newcomer in her WNBA postseason debut, with only 11 points on 25% shooting, eight rebounds and one assist.
And yes, Miles needs to be better for the Lynx to move on. But she also needs her veteran teammates to step up and take pressure off of her shoulders -- especially Napheesa Collier. Collier only had 12 points, five boards and three assists on Sunday.
She got into foul trouble in the third quarter and pretty much turned into a bystander for the rest of the game, going only 2 of 6 for four points in the final 20 minutes as the Liberty ran away with the game. "I'd like her to be more assertive," Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve -- who on her fifth WNBA Coach of the Year award on Monday -- told reporters after the game regarding Collier. "She's great when she moves.
You know, she's just like Stewie when she moves." Comparing anyone to Stewie sounds like hyperbole, especially on a day when Breanna Stewart had 34 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. But Collier is a player who can be at that level. She was runner-up to A'ja Wilson for MVP in 2024 and 2025, and fourth behind Stewart, Wilson and Alyssa Thomas the year prior.
Over the last year, injuries have derailed Collier from her MVP trajectory -- she started having ankle issues last August and missed the first 28 games this year after having two ankle surgeries in the offseason. She's understandably not at 100 percent yet -- she estimates it's closer to 80 percent -- but she's talented enough that she should still be able to have a massive impact on the game. The Lynx had a better regular season than they had any right to be thanks to Miles's quick adjustments to the pros and Reeve's guiding hand.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
