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Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams was limited to just 16 minutes in their 81-65 win over the Dallas Wings on Sunday. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve explained why Williams was benched in the third quarter and played just a minute of ball in the fourth.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Reeve was asked why her top point guard wasn't on the floor for most of the second half. She shared that Williams had some trouble with her calf and that the team just wanted to be cautious. She let her play in the fourth quarter to test it out before quickly reversing the decision.
"Yeah, at halftime there was some concern about her calf muscle," Reeve said. "We really, really erred on the side of caution until the start of the fourth quarter, when she demanded she be given the opportunity to play."
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Courtney Williams finished the game with five points, two rebounds, eight assists and two steals on 2-for-8 shooting. Williams has been fantastic for the Minnesota Lynx this season and is one of the reasons why they are on a historic 9-0 start.
Williams is in her second season with the Lynx and 10th year in the WNBA. She's trying to help Minnesota return to the WNBA Finals after falling short last season against the New York Liberty. She has been the perfect point guard for Cheryl Reeve, partnering with Napheesa Collier, who's putting up MVP numbers again.
Courtney Williams thinks Napheesa Collier will win the MVP this season
Napheesa Collier entered the season as the favorite to win WNBA MVP after her runner-up finish last year. Collier has cemented herself as the second-best player in the league behind A'ja Wilson, but it seems like she's more focused than ever entering the 2025 season.
After just their first game of the campaign, Courtney Williams had the belief that Collier would be taking home the MVP trophy.
"It’s her year, man. It’s her year to go get it," Williams said (according to The Next Hoops). "All she’s got to do is just keep doing what she’s doing. Our team success, we're successful as Phee is. As long as she comes out and do Phee things, she should be getting what she deserves, and that’s that MVP straight up."
The season is still early, but Napheesa Collier has a real shot at running away with the MVP. Caitlin Clark is recovering from injury, and A'ja Wilson's Las Vegas Aces are very inconsistent.
