The Minnesota Lynx recorded a franchise-best win record in the 2025 season and continue to dominate the league with clinical performances. In recent game against the Golden State Valkyries, Napheesa Collier dropped a few clutch baskets exposing their weakness in the games.
The Lynx were the first team to qualify for the 2025 postseason, and playing against the expansion team, the players showed why they are still one of the best in the league despite recent hiccups.
Napheesa Collier Exposes Golden State Valkyries’ Weakness
The Golden State Valkyries made history by becoming the first expansion team to make it to the playoffs in their first season. They did so with their strong defensive gameplay. The team held off some of the explosive scoring rookies like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers in their respective games, but a fixture against the Minnesota Lynx was a different story.
Going against the league’s top scoring side, with leading scorer Collier at the opposite end, was always going to be a strong challenge. After securing the playoff spot, Natalie Nakase chose to test her squad against the league leaders, which backfired a bit.
Active on the defensive end, the Valkyries looked helpless against the Lynx’s pick-and-pop offensive play. Collier used the open spaces well and efficiently scored over the Valkyries’ defenses. Incidentally, Cheryl Reeve used the technique around the three-point arc, also allowing her side to score 14 open threes from 30 attempts.
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During the dying seconds of the game, the 28-year-old forward even relied on similar play to score a basket and seal victory. While the teams will meet in the final game of the 2025 regular season, Nakase will surely look to make note of the weakness and work on it.
Napheesa Collier Might Lose It All At The End Of The Season
The former UConn star has been a very consistent and dominant performer this season. Leading all scorers from the start, the Lynx forward also impacted the defensive end o the floor. With her teammate’s strong support, she kept the Lynx on the top of standings for most part of the season.
While the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup was the first silverware up for grabs, a loss in the final against the Indiana Fever was shocking. Stephanie White’s team dominated the defending champions in the game, raising concerns over their title credentials. Collier set the All-Star game scoring record and won the MVP award, but her aim will be on the regular season performances.
Yet the team responded well, holding on to the top spot with strong performances in the league. But there are three major competitors to Phee’s aspirations – winning MVP title and winning WNBA championship.
A’ja Wilson has surpassed Napheesa Collier to lead all players in points per game this season! 👀✨ pic.twitter.com/e0anYSrXCS
— I talk hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) September 5, 2025
A major roadblock in both accolades is A’ja Wilson and her Las Vegas Aces, who hit the top form late in the season and occupy second position in the league. Another tough challenger is the Phoenix Mercury, which possesses depth and star power to compete against the Lynx. Alyssa Thomas is another MVP candidate who is consistent with her triple-double records.