Minnesota Lynx rookie forward Napheesa Collier put a wrap on her first season in the WNBA by winning yet another award and adding another accolade to her resume on Monday morning.
The Lynx and the WNBA announced Monday that Collier has been named the 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year, edging out Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale to win the league’s annual award.
Collier, who was the sixth overall pick by Minnesota in the Draft last April out of Connecticut, received 29 out of the total 43 votes for the award, which is voted on by a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Ogunbowale received the other 14 votes by the panel.
The Rookie of the Year nod adds to the lengthy list of positives and accolades that Collier was able to accomplish during her first season in the league. The forward is the first Lynx player to win the award since Maya Moore did so in the 2011 campaign.
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Along with earning this award, Collier adds that to a list that includes her being named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for July, the Western Conference Player of the Week during the week of August 19-25 and becoming the first Minnesota rookie to be selected to take part in the WNBA All-Star Game since Moore did so in 2011.
Oh, and she also became the fourth player in league history to record more than 400 points, 200 rebounds, 75 assists, 50 steals, 25 blocks and make 25 3-pointers in a single season, joining Moore, Tamika Catchings and Sheryl Swoopes as the only players to accomplish the feat.
While jumping right into the starting lineup for the Lynx while playing in all 34 games throughout the course of the regular season, Collier impressed many right out of the gate in her professional career. The 6-foot-1 athletic forward averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in a league-most 333.3 minutes per game this season. Collier also shot 49 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc in those 34 appearances.
When it comes to how she stacked up among fellow rookies in the 2019 campaign, Collier ranked second in scoring, rebounding, blocks and field goal percentage, also ranking third in both assists and 3-point percentage. She led all first-year players in steals per game, ranking fourth in the league in general in that category.
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With winning the Rookie of the Year award, Collier in return will receive $5,000 and adds another trophy to her quickly growing trophy case. She also highlights the 2019 WNBA All-Rookie Team, which featured Ogunbowale, Indiana Fever center Teaira McCowan, Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young and Phoenix Mercury forward Briana Turner.
Although many expected Collier to be named the Rookie of the Year following her impressive rookie campaign with the Lynx, on Monday the team and league made it official, capping off an awfully impressive season from the first-year player and cornerstone player in Minnesota.
