Napheesa Collier dominates as Lynx take Game 3 from Sun

Collier also pulled in a game-high 11 rebounds (including nine on the defensive end) to record the double-double. She was a plus-11 in her 33 minutes of basketball. 

In a game that was decided by nine points, that was a game-changing performance and the type one expects to see from an MVP runner-up in a pivotal game of a playoff series. 

In most years, Collier's regular-season performance probably would have been enough to earn a league MVP. She just simply lost out to an incredible year from Las Vegas star A'Ja Wilson. But that does not take away from the season Collier had or the player she is. She is clearly one of the best all-around players in the WNBA and came through on Friday when her team needed her to make a difference.

Courtney Williams also had a standout game for the Lynx, scoring 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting while also distributing a game-high eight assists. 

The Lynx only made five three-pointers on Friday, but it did not matter as they had surgical precision in their offensive game, dominating in the paint and shooting a whopping 57.4 percent from the floor as a team. They also finished the game with 22 assists to only 10 turnovers. 

Conversely, they held the Sun to just 41.1 percent from the field and only 3-for-20 from three-point range. 

The Lynx now hold a 2-1 series lead and have a chance to close it out on Sunday. With a win, they would advance to the WNBA Finals for the seventh time in franchise history and the first time since winning the championship during the 2017 season.