18 Jun 2025
From Draft Day Afterthought to MVP Favorite: Napheesa Collier's Journey to the Top of Women's Basketball
From Draft Day Afterthought to MVP Favorite: Napheesa Collier's Journey to the Top of Women's Basketball In the spring of 2019, the WNBA draft featured what many considered a generational ...
From Draft Day Afterthought to MVP Favorite: Napheesa Collier's Journey to the Top of Women's Basketball
In the spring of 2019, the WNBA draft featured what many considered a generational talent in Arike Ogunbowale. Fresh off back-to-back game-winning shots that delivered Notre Dame a national championship, Ogunbowale was the story everyone wanted to tell. She was dynamic, clutch, and had already proven herself on basketball's biggest stage.
Meanwhile, a quietly efficient forward from the University of Connecticut sat in the green room, watching five teams pass her by. Napheesa Collier wasn't the flashiest prospect, wasn't the biggest name, and certainly wasn't generating the same buzz as other top picks. When the Minnesota Lynx finally called her name with the sixth overall selection, few predicted she'd one day overshadow every player chosen ahead of her.
Fast forward to 2025, and Collier has done exactly that. Leading the league in scoring at 25.5 points per game while guiding the undefeated Minnesota Lynx to the best start in franchise history, she's no longer an afterthought—she's the overwhelming favorite to win her first WNBA MVP award.
The UConn Foundation
Collier's journey to WNBA stardom began in Storrs, Connecticut, where she played for legendary coach Geno Auriemma from 2015-2019. At UConn, she was part of a loaded roster that included future WNBA stars like Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck, and Kia Nurse during her freshman season when the Huskies captured the 2016 national championship.
"Napheesa was always the ultimate team player," recalls former UConn teammate Gabby Williams. "She could do everything—score, rebound, defend, pass. But she was never worried about her individual stats. That selfless mentality was huge for our success."
During her four years in Storrs, Collier averaged 19.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game as a senior, showcasing the complete skill set that would eventually make her a WNBA star. The Huskies' emphasis on fundamentals, basketball IQ, and winning mentality provided the perfect foundation for her professional career.
At UConn, Collier learned to impact games in multiple ways—a lesson that's served her well in Minnesota. Auriemma's system demanded excellence in all phases of the game, teaching players like Collier that true greatness comes from mastering the details rather than chasing individual accolades.
Draft Day Reality Check
The 2019 WNBA Draft told a different story than what's unfolding today. Here's how the top of that draft looked:
| Pick | Player | School | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackie Young | Notre Dame | All-Star, 2024 champion |
| 2 | Arike Ogunbowale | Notre Dame | Multiple All-Star |
| 3 | Teaira McCowan | Mississippi State | Role player |
| 4 | Katie Lou Samuelson | UConn | Injury-shortened career |
| 5 | Bridget Carleton | Iowa State | Solid role player |
| 6 | Napheesa Collier | UConn | 2025 MVP favorite |
Looking back, it's clear that teams overthought Collier's profile. At 6'1", she was considered too small to dominate inside but not quick enough to be a traditional wing. Her game was fundamentally sound but not spectacular. She was productive but not flashy.
"I think teams were looking for that one special skill that would translate immediately," explains former WNBA executive and current analyst Rebecca Lobo. "What they missed with Napheesa was that her special skill was being elite at everything. That's much rarer than being great at one thing."
The Minnesota Transformation
The Lynx, coming off their dynasty years with Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, and Seimone Augustus, needed to rebuild their identity. Collier proved to be the perfect cornerstone for that transition. Her rookie season in 2019 was historically good—she won Rookie of the Year while leading Minnesota back to playoff relevance.
But it was her development in subsequent seasons that truly separated her from her draft classmates. Each year brought new dimensions to her game:
2020: Emerged as a legitimate All-Star, averaging 16.2 points and 9.0 rebounds 2021: Made her first All-WNBA team despite missing significant time for childbirth 2022: Took time off to focus on family, showing her priorities extended beyond basketball 2023: Returned stronger than ever, finishing 4th in MVP voting 2024: Runner-up for MVP, led Lynx to WNBA Finals, won Defensive Player of the Year
Now in 2025, all those experiences have culminated in her best season yet.
The 2025 Breakout
What makes Collier's 2025 season so remarkable isn't just the numbers—though they're undeniably impressive. Through the first eight games, she's posting career highs across the board:
| 2025 Stats | Career Highs |
|---|---|
| Points per game | 25.5 (previous high: 20.4) |
| Field goal % | 52.5% (previous high: 52.3%) |
| 3-point % | 42.9% (previous high: 40.8%) |
| Free throw % | 91.7% (previous high: 86.0%) |
| Steals per game | 2.3 (tied career high) |
These aren't just incremental improvements—they represent quantum leaps in efficiency and production. ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo recently noted that no player in WNBA history has led the league in scoring while maintaining 50-40-90 shooting splits seven games into a season.
The Unrivaled Factor
Collier's dominance this season didn't happen by accident. Her participation in Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league she co-founded with fellow WNBA star Breanna Stewart, proved transformative. During Unrivaled's inaugural season, Collier not only won the league MVP award but also captured the 1-on-1 tournament championship.
"Playing in Unrivaled forced me to be more aggressive offensively," Collier explained in a recent interview. "When it's 3-on-3, you can't rely on your teammates as much. You have to create your own shot, attack mismatches, and be decisive. That mentality carried over to the WNBA season."
The numbers support her assessment. Collier's shot attempts per game have increased from 15.1 in 2024 to 18.6 in 2025, but her efficiency has actually improved. She's taking—and making—more difficult shots while maintaining elite percentages across the board.
MVP Race Dominance
The 2025 WNBA MVP race isn't particularly close. In a survey of WNBA general managers released before the season, Collier received 67% of the votes compared to 25% for three-time winner A'ja Wilson and just 8% for rising star Caitlin Clark.
ESPN's panel of WNBA experts was even more decisive, unanimously selecting Collier as their MVP favorite. The reasoning is straightforward: she's been the best player on the best team while posting historically great individual numbers.
"This feels like Napheesa's time," explains ESPN analyst Kendra Andrews. "She's been building toward this moment for years. The Lynx are undefeated, she's leading the league in scoring, and she's doing it with remarkable efficiency. Unless something dramatic changes, this is her award to lose."
Beyond Individual Accolades
What makes Collier's story particularly compelling is how she's elevated everyone around her. The Lynx's perfect start isn't solely due to her individual brilliance—it's the result of her leadership and ability to make teammates better.
Veteran forward Bridget Carleton, ironically drafted one pick ahead of Collier in 2019, has praised her teammate's evolution as a leader. "Phee has always been talented, but watching her take command of games and demand excellence from all of us has been special to see," Carleton noted.
This leadership extends beyond basketball. As co-founder of Unrivaled, Collier has become a vocal advocate for player empowerment and improved compensation in women's sports. Her business acumen and platform usage demonstrate the modern athlete's responsibility to advance their sport.
The Road Ahead
With the WNBA season still in its early stages, Collier has ample time to cement her MVP case. The Lynx's undefeated start has generated national attention, and much of that spotlight focuses on their dynamic forward who's finally receiving the recognition her talent deserves.
Looking back at that 2019 draft, it's clear that sometimes the best players aren't the ones generating the most pre-draft buzz. Collier's journey from sixth overall pick to MVP favorite serves as a reminder that sustained excellence often trumps immediate impact.
For a player who was once considered an afterthought, Napheesa Collier has certainly made her mark. The UConn product who fell to sixth in the draft is now sitting atop the basketball world, proving that draft position doesn't determine destiny—performance does.
The 2025 season is still young, but Collier's early dominance suggests this is finally her time to claim the individual honor that her career-long excellence has always deserved. From Storrs to Minneapolis, from draft day disappointment to MVP favorite, her journey embodies everything fans love about sports: talent, perseverance, and the sweet satisfaction of proving doubters wrong.
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