Napheesa Collier works best in context.
Any individual highlight might show a basket, yet miss the point. The most impressive part of her game is what she does away from the ball: The Lynx forward has an uncanny ability to establish her position in the right place at the right time. It’s a matter of practiced reading and cutting and screening, but it’s a matter of instinct, too. “She has this innate understanding of the game,” says Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve. “All of her movements make sense. All of them.” That motion is constant but never feels rushed. She sees more action than almost every other player in the WNBA, always playing both ends of the floor, a perpetual display of perfect footwork. Yet that never seems to come with visible fatigue. She forces the game to run on her terms.
