Why Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx could be legitimate title contenders this 2025 WNBA season

Coming off a WNBA Finals loss in the 2024 season, Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx are expected to be serious title contenders for the 2025 season as well. The team has proven its ability to compete at the highest level and is expected to bounce back stronger to finish the task in the upcoming season.

Collier is currently at the prime of her career, having earned the Defensive Player of the Year and All-WNBA First Team honors last season while also finishing second in the MVP race. Her dominance continued into the offseason, where she won the MVP award in the Unrivaled 3x3 league's inaugural season.

Under Napheesa Collier's leadership, the 2024 Lynx displayed a selfless and connected style of play, leading the league with 23.0 assists per game and finishing second in defensive rating. With most of their players under contract for 2025, the team can maintain its on-court chemistry, giving them an edge over other teams that faced roster shakeups during the free agency.

Though their 2024 run ended in a 3-2 close-call loss, the Minnesota Lynx roster has acquired the playoff pedigree required to push their limits and fight for redemption in the upcoming season.

Napheesa Collier shares thoughts on Minnesota Lynx's 2024 Finals loss

In a January interview with GQ, Napheesa Collier talked about the Minnesota Lynx's loss to the New York Liberty in the 2024 WNBA Finals. The four-time All-Star said that she's not over the loss and also cited poor officiating as she let out her frustration with the league's referees.

"I’m definitely still not over it," Collier said. "This specific situation just feels different for me because I feel like it was…I don't know if avoidable is the right word, but we've been complaining about refereeing for the entire year. It just feels so preventable."

When asked about the main emotion she experienced in the aftermath of the loss, Collier replied:

"Anger. I would just say, like, injustice. I don’t know what that feeling is."

There were various controversial foul calls during the finals series. The most notable one was when the Lynx were on the brink of clinching the championship with a two-point advantage with five seconds remaining in Game 5.

A controversial foul call sent Liberty's Breanna Stewart to the free-throw line, where she sent the game to overtime, eventually helping New York snatch the win.

"It’s something you’ll never get over,” Collier said. "That’s what sports is. It evokes really extreme emotions from you. Even if we win another championship, that’s how you get over something, but you’ll still be like, Oh, man. The one that got away."

Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx will look to use their loss as motivation to fuel their run in the 2025 WNBA season.