"Tough" - Despite ankle injury, Napheesa Collier reacts to Kayla McBride's 3-pt barrage falling just short of WNBA record

Kayla McBride was the star for the Minnesota Lynx after the team lost Napheesa Collier to an ankle injury during Saturday’s game vs. the Las Vegas Aces. McBride finished her night with 24 points, five assists and two rebounds. She was highly efficient from the field, shooting 8-for-11 (8-for-10 from 3-point range).

McBride fell short of grabbing the record for most made 3-pointers in a single WNBA game by just one. Kelsey Mitchell, Jewell Loyd, Arike Ogunbowale and Rhyne Howard are tied for the most, with nine 3-pointers in one game.

Despite injuring her ankle, Napheesa Collier couldn’t help but give McBride props for her historic night and reacted to her solid performance on Instagram.

“Toughhhh,” wrote Collier.

Collier left Saturday’s game near the end of the third quarter after injuring her ankle while going for an offensive rebound. She saw 26 minutes of action, finishing with 18 points, five assists and three rebounds, shooting 6-for-11. She will undergo further tests to evaluate the severity of her injury.

Thanks to McBride’s stellar showing, the Lynx dominated the Aces, winning 111-58. The team remains on top in the standings and is now six games ahead of the New York Liberty (17-10) in second.

Minnesota will return to the court on Tuesday to take on the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena.

Could the ankle injury derail Napheesa Collier's MVP campaign?

Napheesa Collier has been the clear front-runner for the MVP award this season. She entered Saturday’s game recording a league-high 23.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists through 25 games.

If the season were to end today, Collier would likely be named MVP. However, with almost 20 games left to be played, her MVP campaign could be derailed, depending on the extent of her injury.

If she is ruled out for an extended period, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas would be the favorite to win the award. Thomas has also been stellar this season, averaging 16.2 points, 9.0 assists and 8.4 rebounds per game. She has led the Mercury to the fourth spot (16-11) in the league, trailing the Lynx in first by seven games.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande