SEATTLE — Napheesa Collier made a triumphant return to the court Wednesday afternoon, posting 24 points and 10 rebounds in her season debut to lead the Minnesota Lynx past the Seattle Storm 86-76 and into the WNBA All-Star break with the league's best record.
Collier, the reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year who tore ligaments in her left ankle during last September's playoffs and underwent surgery on both ankles in the offseason, showed no signs of rust. She shot 9-of-20 from the floor including two 3-pointers in 24 minutes of action. She also drew a critical foul on a desperation 3-point attempt as the shot clock expired, calmly sinking all three free throws to answer a Storm rally that had cut the lead to 77-76 with 1:42 remaining.
Kayla McBride added 20 points, coming just short of joining Diana Taurasi and A'ja Wilson as the only players to score 23-plus points in eight consecutive games. Rookie Olivia Miles contributed 13 points and Natasha Howard chipped in 11 for the Lynx (22-6), who head into the All-Star break as the clear team to beat in the league.
