Napheesa Collier was doing some running on her healing right ankle at Lynx practice Thursday. After it ended coach Cheryl Reeve said a decision on when her star player's return could come in a week.
The All-Star guard has missed three games since being injured late in a victory July 26 over Washington and was listed as questionable for Friday night's game against the Liberty at Target Center.
The Lynx won two of those games, both against teams in or tied for second place in the WNBA at the time, both on the road, at New York and Connecticut.
The Lynx lost a rematch with the Sun on Wednesday in Connecticut. But Reeve and her players have found a way to stay efficient without Collier, while going 2-1 against top competition. The success should bode well for the stretch run once she returns.
"Cheryl had a talk with everyone, just sort of talking about how to make up for Phee's points,'' said point guard Lindsay Allen, whose scoring has jumped with Collier out. "Talking about being more aggressive in our offense, especially me getting to the basket, getting into the paint, creating for us more.''
In the three games since Collier got hurt, the Lynx have averaged 81.3 points, shot 47.6% overall and 33.9% on three-pointers, numbers all better than their season averages. Their offensive rating of 102.5 is fourth-best in the league over that stretch and above their season-long average of 99.4.
Now, the Lynx have had far better short stretches of offensive efficiency during the season, and any Minnesota offense is going to be better with Collier.
But no question players have taken advantage of their opportunity. It's not unlike the 2021 season played in the COVID-19 bubble in Florida. Playing much of the season without center Sylvia Fowles, the Lynx finished third in the standings and fourth in the league in scoring.
"You get so consumed with getting the ball to Syl,'' Reeve said. "And it's kind of the same, with Phee having an MVP-type season. Everyone is trying to help her, get her the ball. We're running stuff for her. Maybe there is more breadth to our playing-calling not being so Phee-focused. As they gain confidence as a team, and us as a staff, we've evolved."
Kayla McBride is an example, having shot 61% percent and averaged 20 points in the last three games.
Allen's production has jumped, too. In her last three games she has shot 68%, averaged 13.0 points per game with 4.3 assists. Her season averages: 6.3 points, 40.3% shooting, 4.2 assists. So she has been able to more than double her scoring without losing any of her playmaking.
"For me, it's just trying to play with pace, get into the paint and make my reads from there,'' Allen said.
The Lynx will get another crack at New York in Friday's game.
But when Collier returns? The key will be to take what was learned without her and incorporate it back into an attack centered around their star.
"The main thing is competing on every possession,'' Allen said. "That's what we've been learning throughout the season, just how to compete, how hard we have to play in order to be good in this league.''
Note
- Rachel Banham got the cast off the right thumb she fractured July 9 against Las Vegas. After receiving a positive update upon its removal, there is a chance Banham returns to play as early as next week. After Friday's game with the Liberty, the Lynx don't play again until they are at Chicago on Tuesday. Reeve said Banham should take part in the two practices leading up to that game.
