"Doesn’t feel like a finals rematch" - Napheesa Collier unfazed by Lynx-Liberty clash despite Finals rivalry

Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx will face off against the New York Liberty on Wednesday in an epic rematch of their 2024 WNBA Finals. Ahead of the highly anticipated matchup, Collier spoke to reporters and shared her candid thoughts about the game.

She also talked about the team's preparations going into the game against the Liberty at Target Center.

"It doesn’t feel like a finals rematch anymore, honestly," she said. "Like, we are kind of it's a new year for us, and it’s been so long, like it’s almost August. So it’s just the two top teams going against each other. "We'll prepare for them like a really great team, which they are. So it doesn't really feel like retribution for last year. It just feels like we're about to play a good team."

The Minnesota Lynx with a 22-5 record and the New York Liberty (17-8), are the league's most form teams this season. Last year, New York defeated Minnesota to win the championship after a hard-fought WNBA final series.

But even though the Liberty are the defending champions, a visit to Minneapolis won't be a walk in the park as the Lynx led by Napheesa Collier will be ready to go toe-to-toe on the night. Nonetheless, it will be an exciting game of basketball for fans to watch.

---

Napheesa Collier speaks out about WNBA players reaction to new CBA proposals

The WNBA players association and the league failed to reach an agreement in negotiations over a new CBA. Following that, Napheesa Collier revealed to reporters about how the players reacted to the impasse.

Speaking in her press conference before the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis earlier this month, Collier said:

"We were disappointed for sure in what they came back with. It was just nowhere near what we asked for or even in the same conversation. Like we asked for something, they came back with something totally different. "So, like I said, I mean, this is where the money's at. So, both sides are going to fight really hard for it and so we just have to make them know that we're not backing down on this point."

It remains to be seen if the league and the WNBPA finally come to a beneficial agreement. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how it pans up.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash