Lynx star Napheesa Collier upsets A’ja Wilson by winning a major award

On Sunday, the WNBA announced that Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier won the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award. A’ja Wilson, who won the MVP, placed second in the voting. Wilson was a candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award and some fans were surprised when Collier won it. Others, however, trusted Collier.

Collier and Wilson are both currently focused on preparing for the WNBA semifinals. The Lynx play the Connecticut Sun in the first game of their semifinal series, while the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty also face off. There’s a chance that Collier’s Lynx and Wilson’s Aces could play in the WNBA Finals.

Wilson undoubtedly had a great season. After all, there’s a reason she won the MVP. However, Collier’s contributions on defense cannot be ignored. Overall, Collier had a great season and was also seriously considered for MVP as she finished second in the voting.

Collier averaged 20.6 points per game on a 49.2 percent field goal shooting percentage in 2024. She also recorded 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks per outing.

According to The Sporting News, opponents shot less than 40 percent against Collier. Collier finished the regular season second in steals per game. She also ranked sixth in blocks per game. Collier’s all-around impact on the defensive end was crucial.

In fact, Collier has made a serious case to win MVP this season. Wilson had a historic season and finished as favorite, but in most other years Collier would have won the award. Still, finishing second in MVP voting and earning Defensive Player of the Year honors is by no means a bad year. Of course, she would like to finish Season 24 with a Lynx championship.

Minnesota played well throughout the 2024 season. The Lynx and Sun series are intended to be competitive. Connecticut has some question marks, but it has more than enough talent to make things interesting. Still, the Lynx should be able to take care of business if used to its full potential.

Game 1 of the Sun-Lynx semifinal series is scheduled for Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. EST in Minnesota.