WNBA fans were in awe of Napheesa Collier after leading the Minnesota Lynx to their first Finals appearance since 2017. Some have used her outstanding postseason performance to criticize Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson for winning the MVP award unanimously.

Collier put on a stellar display with a game-high 27 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks, shooting 10-for-16 from the field in Game 5 as the Lynx knocked out the Connecticut Sun to advance to the Finals.

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Although the MVP is a regular season award, fans couldn’t resist praising Collier while taking jabs at Wilson. One fan said:

“She should have been MVP.”

“But (A’ja) unanimous?? ion get it,” another fan said.
Other fans called Collier the best player in the league:

“MVPHEEEE,” one fan said.
“Best player in the WNBA,” another fan said.
Some fans went as far as predicting she would win Finals MVP.

“Fmvp her already,” one fan said.
“RESPECT THE FUTURE FMVP,” another fan added.
Napheesa Collier finished second in MVP voting with 66 out of 67 second-place votes and 467 points.

A’ja Wilson earned all 67 first-place votes in this year’s MVP voting, becoming just the second player in WNBA history to win the award unanimously, joining Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, who achieved the feat in 1997.

She also became the fourth player in league history to claim three MVPs, joining Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.

New York’s Breanna Stewart (295 points), Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark (130 points) and Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas (83 points) completed the top five.

Looking at Napheesa Collier and A’ja Wilson’s 2024 WNBA playoffs stats
Napheesa Collier is having the best postseason of her career, averaging 27.2 points and 3.8 assists (both playoff highs) along with 9.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks per game ahead of the Lynx’s Game 5 win.

A’ja Wilson wrapped up her playoff run averaging 21.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 2.8 apg and 2.5 bpg. Her Las Vegas Aces were eliminated by the New York Liberty in four games, the same team they defeated in last year’s Finals.

Wilson’s highest-scoring game in this postseason was 24 points, which she hit twice — once in the first round against the Seattle Storm and again against the Liberty. She finished her playoff campaign with two consecutive 19-point games.

Meanwhile, Napheesa Collier has been on fire this postseason. She started the first round against the Phoenix Mercury by dropping 38 points and then followed it up with a 42-point performance to eliminate them in Game 2.

In the Lynx’s last three games, she put up 26, 29 and 27 points.

Now, Collier, this year’s Defensive Player of the Year, and the Lynx will face off against the Liberty in the WNBA Finals.