Napheesa Collier shines in return from injury as Lynx defeat Fever 97-84

The Lynx continued their push for the top seed in the WNBA playoffs and Napheesa Collier returned from an ankle injury to continue her campaign for the league’s MVP award Sunday night at Target Center.

The two pursuits once again aligned nicely as the Lynx defeated the Indiana Fever 97-84.

Collier received a loud ovation when announced with the starters before the game, and she was efficient from the start, making five of her first six shots.

She hadn’t played since Aug. 2 because of an ankle injury, yet she finished with 32 points on 11-for-16 shooting with nine rebounds, two assists and two steals. She was a game-best plus-24 for the WNBA-best Lynx (30-7), who went 5-2 in Collier’s absence, including a 95-90 victory at Indiana on Friday.

But MVP wasn’t the acronym she cited, saying watching from the sideline had given her “FOMO” (fear of missing out).

“When we are playing our defense, I don’t think there’s anyone who can beat us,” said Collier, who suffered a sprained right ankle during a collision with teammate Alanna Smith in a game Aug. 2 at Las Vegas. “It’s a good time to be a Lynx. … I just felt really good."

Asked whether she could have asked for anything more, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said, “Sure — you can always imagine more. She’s that darn good. Happy to have her back, and obviously she was ready to play. Having her play makes it easier for everybody else."

“She’s been great in her minutes,” Reeve said. “In the second quarter, we felt a shift in the way we were playing.”

Point guard Courtney Williams set the Lynx all-time single-season assist record with a deft pass to Kliundikova in the second quarter, breaking her own record set last year. Williams raved about the coaching she gets from Reeve and Lynx assistant Lindsay Whalen. Reeve said it’s her job to push Williams and that Whalen lends a more sympathetic ear.

Asked whether she knew about the assists record, Williams said: “No, of course not. Cheryl keeps me humble … and the combination of [Whalen] and Cheryl constantly being in my ear and letting me know how I can be better."

The Fever (19-18), playing without injured star guard Caitlin Clark for the 15th consecutive game, took a first-quarter lead as guard Kelsey Mitchell and forward Aliyah Boston found scoring easy.

The Lynx began clamping down on the stars in the second quarter and finished the quarter on a 23-8 run.

BOXSCORE: Lynx 97, Indiana 84

WNBA standings

The crowd was intense from the start, prompting Reeve to reminisce. She noted that this team gets better fan support than her dynasty teams in the 2010s and she reminds her players not to take it for granted.

While wearing a “StudBudz” T-shirt in support of the social media phenomenon started by Williams and backup point guard Natisha Hiedeman, Reeve said her current players are cohesive and that they use the word “friendship” to describe their relationship.