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Napheesa Collier's husband Alex Bazzell was a picture of disappointment after the dramatic and controversial 2024 WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx on Sunday (Oct. 20). The game went down to the wire, heading into overtime. Marred with questionable decisions that garnered ample flak on social media, the contest eventually ended with the Liberty ending their 28-year title drought.
Bazzell took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a post that showed how he felt after the game. He wrote:
"It’s really sad that’s how it ended. Love this team. Go Lynx 💚💙"
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Collier ended the matchup and her solid season with 22 points and seven rebounds. The Lynx put up a fight with Kayla McBride propping up 21 points, but it wasn't enough to get past the NY defense.
Bazzell was one of the many ticked off by the officiating. Earlier, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve minced no words when she lambasted the poor refereeing. However, Minnesota will be immensely proud of their campaign making the finals after their title win last in 2017.
Napheesa Collier ends stellar 2024 WNBA campaign with DPOY honors
Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier was named the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. This is the first DPOY for Collier, who now joins Sylvia Fowles as the two players to earn the honor with the franchise. Collier had 36 votes from a national panel of 67 sportswriters. Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson finished in second place (26 votes), and Seattle Storm forward Ezi Magbegor was third with three votes.
In her sixth season in the league, Collier started all 34 games in which she played and ranked fourth in defensive rebounds per game (7.5) and seventh in blocked shots per game (1.41), She grabbed at least 10 defensive rebounds in a game on seven occasions. The season also saw her have seven games with a minimum of three steals. She set the WNBA record this season for most steals in a single game with eight of them against the LA Sparks.
Napheesa Collier also made the All-WNBA first team along with Wilson, rookie sensation Caitlin Clarke, Breanna Stewart, and Connecticut Sun's Alyssa Thomas. She averaged 20.4 points and 9.7 rebounds, and her contribution on the defensive end was seen as Lynx had the second-best defensive rating in the league. Now, the forward will be keen to make amends for a missed title shot next season.
