Lynx season preview: Can’t go wrong with Reeve and Phee

Napheesa Collier should strike fear in opponents

Collier may not be the same player right away upon her return, but I expect her to eventually be back in the MVP race year in and year out, including putting on a stellar finish to this season. At the beginning of last season, I wrote about the “Fear of Phee” that was spreading across the W. When I was rooting against the Lynx in the 2024 semifinals and Finals, this fear began to take hold of me. It’s the reason I won’t let go of the belief that Minnesota can still make noise this year. As I wrote, Collier was “the head of the snake, the face of the Minnesota monster” during the 2024 playoff run. She was the MVP runner-up for the 2024 regular season and went on to all but win the championship for her team. Then, she was the MVP frontrunner for much of the 2025 season, and likely would have won the award had it not been for the first of her ankle injuries. Last season, A’ja Wilson was not the runaway favorite like she was in 2024; it was actually Collier who dominated headlines, especially with her 50-40-90 accomplishment. She became just the second WNBA player to achieve the feat after Elena Delle Donne in 2019. Collier finished 2025 shooting 53.1 percent from the field, 40.3 percent from 3 and 90.6 percent from the charity stripe. And she did it with the 13th-most field goal attempts (518), 14th-most free throw attempts (171) and plenty of 3-point attempts (124). So impressive. And the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year does it on both ends of the floor as well; she earned her second First Team All-Defensive and fourth All-Defensive honor last year. Outside of Wilson, there is no better offensive weapon and no player more capable of carrying a team than Collier. She can even do things that A’ja can’t, like face up from the perimeter and play like a guard. When all else fails the Lynx this year, they will at least have her pure talent on their side, as well as her big-game mystique, which we saw nearly bring the trophy back to Minnesota in 2024.

Cheryl Reeve has been the one constant for the Lynx throughout all their success

Speaking of mystique, a lot of it revolves around Reeve as well. She had great players during the dynasty years, but certainly added to the invincible aura that surrounded her team during that stretch with her wisdom and mentorship. Only Van Chancellor matches Reeve’s four WNBA championships. Becky Hammon’s three in her first four years prevents us from saying that Reeve is unquestionably the best coach in the league right now, but she’s certainly second if not first.