Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx have been nearly unbeatable since the Olympic break.
The Lynx star, who helped the United States win its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal, has been averaging 20.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists and the team has won 12 of 13 since the Paris Games to surge into second place in the standings.
She's also been an anchor on the defensive end as the Lynx have only given up an average of 78 points in those games. In the last four contests, including a huge win over the New York Liberty on Sunday, Minnesota hasn't allowed a team to reach 80 points.
"Each year she knows that if she plays like an MVP that our team has a chance to be highly successful," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. "That's what we've seen this year. Both sides, her impact defensively each night there are different ways you can use her. She's defensive player of the year and MVP, that's why were are sitting where we are."
In any other year where A'ja Wilson wasn't putting up historic numbers, Collier would be a front runner for the league's top award. Unfortunately for the Lynx star, Wilson has been truly amazing, becoming the first player in WNBA history to score more than 1,000 points in a season and averaging 27.0 points - the highest in league history.
