Napheesa Collier picks 7'3" Victor Wembanyama as an unstoppable force while making case for 1-on-1 at NBA All-Star 

WNBA star Napheesa Collier made an interesting pick when selecting which NBA player would win in a 1-on-1 tournament if the league were to hold such an event during All-Star weekend. She said that Spurs star Victor Wembanyama would be her favorite to win the tournament, while also supporting its implementation as a way to get players to take All-Star events more seriously.

Napheesa Collier has been one of the top players in the WNBA since she entered the league back in 2019. Along with being a great player on the court, Collier has been a leader in the efforts to grow the WNBA game and expose the league to a wider audience, partnering with Breanna Stewart to spearhead the inaugural season of the Unrivaled League happening right now.

The league features an exciting 3-on-3 format, but introduced an interesting event on Monday night; a 1-on-1 tournament featuring the league's best players. When talking on the Run it Back podcast, Napheesa Collier spoke with co-hosts Michele Beadle, Lou Williams and Chandler Parsons about the 1-on-1 tournament that Unrivaled has introduced and how it would play out if the NBA followed suit.

The Minnesota Lynx guard's reasoning for Wembanyama was simple, saying:

"Wemby's gotta win an NBA 1v1 tournament. He's so long, how are you gonna shoot over him? How are you gonna defend him?" said Collier on why the Spurs leader would take home the win.

Napheesa Collier has been one of the biggest innovators of the Unrivaled league throughout its development process. Collier, along with Breanna Stewart and the rest of the big names playing in Unrivaled are reaping the success of her work, providing an exciting atmosphere to even casual basketball fans that keeps the WNBA in the spotlight throughout the offseason.

Is Napheesa Collier's Wembanyama pick based on what he might be, or what he is now?

Victor Wembanyama has been one of the most popular players in the league during his two years with the San Antonio Spurs. The Frenchman was named to his first All-Star game this year and projects to be a dominant player in the NBA for years to come. His development has shocked many though, and Napheesa Collier has good reason to think he is already one of the best scorers in the game.

Wembanyama has been excellent so far this season, averaging 24.4 points, 11 rebounds and a league-leading 3.9 blocks per game. He is the front-runner to win Defensive Player of the Year and is putting together a solid case to be named to an All-NBA team at the end of the season. If he and newly acquired point guard De'Aaron Fox can gel quickly, the Spurs could put together a deep postseason run.