MVPhee?

Lynx 81

Sparks 76

The Minnesota Lynx were not at their best on Friday night. In fact, they looked for a while to be heading towards their first clunker loss of the season. 

But that didn't happen. Because Napheesa Collier basically just decided it wouldn't.

Lynx offense was way off for most of the first half. Lots of one and done possessions. The Sparks were often gashing the Lynx on defense, and the lead got as high as 12 late in the half.

That's when Phee put her foot down. She was not going to have any more of this. She led a late run to close the deficit to a manageable 5 at the half.

Then after halftime, as the Lynx team defense really turned up the intensity, it was Phee leading the way here too. And Courtney Williams joined in on the fun too, notching a double-double. Alanna Smith and Bridget Carleton contributed. Kind of a rough game for the red hot Kayla McBride, who may have been feeling the pressure from me wearing her jersey to a game for the first time.

The Lynx never quite put LA away. They got the lead briefly into double digits in the 4th before LA got back in it. 

It was never going in the loss column. Collier wasn't having it. She finished with 30 points, 6 boards, and a league record tying 8 steals.

I don't follow the overall WNBA quite closely enough to know who else is having great seasons, but I find it hard to imagine anybody is having a better season right now than Collier. She is the best player on at least one of the best teams, and is having her best season. Sounds like an MVP to me.