"She gotta guard me too": Alyssa Thomas pulls no punches in statement on defending Napheesa Collier

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier got off to a hot start in Game 1 on Sunday against Phoenix Mercury All-Star Alyssa Thomas. The highly anticipated battle between the two losing MVP finalists went Collier’s way early. Collier had eight points and one assist midway through the showdown, forcing Phoenix to a timeout.

Before Thomas could huddle with her teammates, she responded when asked how to slow down Collier:

“She gotta guard me too, so I’m doing the same thing. We good.”

The Collier-Thomas back-and-forth continued throughout the game. Collier finished the first quarter with 10 points, but Thomas held her scoreless in the second. The Lynx star resumed her scoring exploits in the third, delivering eight in the frame. Collier’s eight-point production in the third frame proved crucial as Minnesota won the exchange 19-12.

Alyssa Thomas anchored a defense that held the most efficient offense this season to 40 points at halftime. Napheesa Collier helped turn the game around in Minnesota's favor in the third quarter with her scoring and overall impact.

Thomas kept Collier from scoring again in the fourth frame, but Minnesota’s Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride picked up the slack. The Lynx dominated the Mercury in the final 10 minutes, 23-10, to win Game 1 82-69.

Napheesa Collier finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Alyssa Thomas submitted 18 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

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Napheesa Collier held Alyssa Thomas scoreless in last quarter

Napheesa Collier, the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, held Alyssa Thomas scoreless in the fourth quarter. Thomas played the final 10 minutes but missed the only shot she took while guarded by Collier. The Mercury forward did contribute two rebounds and two assists as her team wilted in the final frame.

The fierce Collier-Thomas showdown is a continuation of their rivalry from last year’s playoffs. Minnesota punched a ticket to the 2024 WNBA Finals by repulsing the Thomas-led Connecticut Sun in five hard-fought games.

This year, Thomas is on another team, but her duel with Collier remains as highly competitive as ever. Both failed to score in the fourth quarter but impacted the game in other areas. The two could cancel each other out, putting the onus on their teammates to step up.

In Game 1, the Lynx got a spark from Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride. Thomas will be hoping somebody from her does the same in their rematch in Game 2 on Tuesday.

Edited by Michael Macasero