MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier has been named the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Collier is one of four unanimous selections on the All-Rookie Team announced Monday. The others are Indiana Fever center Teaira McCowan, Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale and Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young. Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner also was chosen in voting by the league's 12 head coaches.
“We are so proud that Napheesa was named the 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year,” said Lynx Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve in a post on the Lynx website. “She recorded one of the best rookie seasons ever, boasting an incredibly efficient stat line every time she played. She was not only one of the most efficient scorers in the league, her defensive performance ranked near the top of the entire league and was one of the best seasons ever for a rookie. Napheesa’s rookie campaign was a model of consistency rarely demonstrated by first-year players and simply put, we were a better team with her on the court.”
The 6-foot-1 Collier was drafted out of Connecticut with the sixth overall pick last spring. She's the first Lynx winner of the award since Maya Moore in 2011. Collier averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals in a league-high 33.3 minutes, while starting all 34 regular-season games.
Collier became the fourth player in WNBA history to record at least 400 points, 200 rebounds, 75 assists, 50 steals, 25 blocks and 25 three-pointers made in a season, joining Moore, Tamika Catchings and Sheryl Swoopes.
