Lynx’s Napheesa Collier Falls Short of WNBA MVP to A’ja Wilson

The Minnesota Lynx superstar fell just short of the WNBA MVP award for the second straight year.

Jul 27, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) prepares to play the Atlanta Dream before the game at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Lynx have had some motivation for the entire 2025 offseason, trying to bounce back after their crushing WNBA Finals loss to the New York Liberty last year. The Lynx have proven that they are the best team in the league, winning a league-high 34 games, which ties the record for most wins in a season.

The Lynx still have something to prove this year after a historic regular season, to win a championship, but superstar forward Napheesa Collier might have an extra chip on her shoulder.

Sep 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) looks on against the Golden State Valkyries in the second half during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Collier falls short, again

For the second consecutive year, Lynx star forward Napheesa Collier has fallen short of the WNBA MVP award. ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Sunday morning that Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson has won the award, making history with her fourth MVP win of her career.

Breaking: Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson has won the 2025 WNBA MVP award, becoming the first player in league history to win the honor four times, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Snls3WFhqj

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 21, 2025

"Breaking: Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson has won the 2025 WNBA MVP award, becoming the first player in league history to win the honor four times, sources tell ESPN," Charania broke the news.

Wilson had a historic season, leading the WNBA in points and blocks per game, but many were vouching for Collier to win the award. This season, Collier averaged 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game.

Collier also became the first player in WNBA history to shoot at least 50% from the field, 40% from three-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line, while averaging 20+ points per game.

Napheesa Collier joined elite basketball company. pic.twitter.com/9ca7MPvMw0

— Automatic (@automaticnba) September 12, 2025

Collier's new motivation

Collier was leading the MVP race for the majority of the season, but ultimately missed 11 of Minnesota's 44 games, which would have been the most missed games by an MVP winner ever.

Many people felt Collier was the most deserving candidate, despite her missed games, and now she simply has some extra motivation. All along, Collier has said that the MVP race is not her priority, as she is hunting for a title more than anything. While that is likely the case, losing to Wilson for the second consecutive year has to give her some fuel.

50/40/90 Club, Leads the Lynx to Most Wins (34), Averaged 22.9 PPG, 7.3 REB, & 3.2 AST in 33 games.

We’re about to see the Napheesa Collier Revenge Tour. That WNBA Finals Championship/MVP is what she’s chasing but you can’t deny the greatness witnessed in the regular season. pic.twitter.com/pJ84EK7xkU

— SneakerReporter (@SneakerReporter) September 21, 2025

The Lynx's expected Finals matchup would be against the Aces, which would give Collier an opportunity to prove to the world who the best player in the league is. However, first, they need to get through the Phoenix Mercury in their second-round series, which tips off on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. ET in Minnesota.

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