Yardbarker
x
Napheesa Coller Wears Snazzy Air Jordan 40 Sneakers In Lynx Win
© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

While WNBA fans might have been paying more attention to Napheesa Collier stuffing points left and right on Friday night, June 27, she was showing off some new sneakers.

These were not just ordinary sneakers, though. Collier became the first athlete to don the Nike Jordan 40 brand in a game. Collier scored 26 points and played 40 of the game's 45 minutes, leading the Minnesota Lynx to a 96-92 overtime victory over the Atlanta Dream.

Right now, Collier is the WNBA's leading scorer. What about those sneakers, though? After the game, Collier reposted a post from sports footwear industry reporter Nick DePaula. She was excited about getting this chance to show off the shoes.

“I'm now part of a legacy that has consistently redefined what's possible in basketball,” Collier said according to DiPaula.

Napheesa Collier keeps on making points, literally, for WNBA MVP consideration

Collier not only leads the league in scoring, but she's the odds-on favorite at this point to win WNBA MVP honors. There is still a lot of season to play, though. But the Lynx, who are 13-2 overall, look like they are in a solid spot to make the WNBA postseason.

Collier missed two games due to her back injury. "If this was the playoffs, I would have been back before," Collier said, according to ESPN. "But I wanted to make sure I was coming back not having any load management, not having a minutes restriction, 100% ready to go."

Right now, Collier is averaging 24.5 points per game. It's a good thing she's back in action because the Lynx will go up against the Indiana Fever on Tuesday in the Commissioner's Cup final. Indiana hopes that star player Caitlin Clark will be ready for that key contest.

Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve sure was happy to get Collier back as well. Reeve knows that league play will only get tougher in the weeks ahead.

"It's not necessarily an easy game to come back into, with the bigs that they have," Reeve said, noting how the Dream can dominate down low with their tough players. "Phee has always been a player who fills up the box score. She was obviously special for us."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!