MINNEAPOLIS — "She is such a threat. You just can’t cover her in the paint.”
This is what Tresa Undem had to say about about Napheesa Collier, captain of the 2023 Minnesota Lynx team, in a recent conversation on the KAXE Morning Show with partner Lorie Shaull.
Shaull said about Collier’s leadership this season, “She’s really shown up.”
With a rocky start, Collier has begun to find her way and started scoring more, leading her team to close games and win some games.
Collier also recently played in the All-Star game, and along with Breanna Stewart from the New York Liberty, is starting another WNBA league in the offseason.
“You know it’s hard to make a living in the WNBA,” Undem said. “So to have another option for players is also another sign of growth.”
Collier is leading a team of newcomers and rookies, rebuilding after the retirement in past years of championship teams with Sylvia Fowles, Lindsay Whalen, Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson.
“All the rookies are starting to get a little more cohesive,” Undem said.
Who to watch at a Lynx game
Rookie players are making their mark. Keep an eye on these players:
- Diamond Miller: No. 2 draft pick, the guard from the University of Maryland, after an ankle sprain, she’s back on the starting line. Miller is averaging 10.4 points per game. Coach Cheryl Reeve is said to be energized and enthused by the pairing of Collier and Miller.
- Dorka Yuhasz: A forward with the Lynx, Yuhasz is from Hungary and graduated from University of Connectict, the powerhouse women’s basketball team that produced players Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Moore, Stewart and Minnesota’s own Paige Bueckers (a current student). Yuhasz’s mother was a member of the Hungarian national basketball team.
Undem and Shaull said they’re “Dorka fans,” noting they see a lot of potential, especially after seeing her defend Brittney Greiner from the Phoenix Mercury, a longtime powerhouse in the WNBA League.
Undem and Shaull often attend home games at the Target Center, and they say over and over people say the same thing that once you see them in person, you are hooked.
“They are such stellar athletes,” Undem said.
The game schedule and player information for the Minnesota Lynx are available here.
Since the conversation aired, the Lynx have struggled, facing Dallas Wings and Atlanta Dream.
