Napheesa Collier after sweeping Mercury: ‘I should’ve made my free throws’

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Napheesa Collier made history as the Minnesota Lynx eliminated the Phoenix Mercury from the WNBA Playoffs with a 101-88 victory Wednesday night at Target Center.

She tied a WNBA record for points in a single game with 42. She could’ve set a new record, but missed a free throw in the fourth quarter.

“I should make my free throws,” Collier said with a laugh. ‘I was just taking what the defense gave me, what my teammates were giving me. I was the recipient of that. It’s not like I sit back and think about I need to score this many points to break a record. I’m just playing for my team, I’m trying to win a game.

Here 80 points over the two games combined in the series is a WNBA record.

“Phee just has the ability each game to know what it is she’s going to get, how she’s going to get it,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “What I saw the last two games, just the greatness, I saw she had 22 in the first half and I’m like ‘Wow, that’s pretty good.’ Her doing what she’s doing in the WNBA is not a surprise.”

Why it matters

The Lynx advanced to the WNBA Semifinals, winning their first playoff series since 2020. They haven’t won a WNBA title since 2017.

They Lynx move onto face the Connecticut Sun, which eliminated the Indiana Fever. Minnesota’s series win eliminates the Mercury, which likely ends the career of Diana Taurasi after two decades in the WNBA. She left the game to a standing ovation Wednesday night.

What’s next

The Lynx face the Connecticut Sun in the semifinals. They went 1-2 in the regular season, with all three games decided by a combined eight points.