Napheesa Collier

Checking arguably every box required to be deemed a certified “instant classic,” the 2024 WNBA Finals’ series opener could be defined as both a “game of runs,” and one requiring must-have defensive stops. For Napheesa Collier, proven to be a true one-of-one in the art of footwork in the post, such characteristics made it only right, then, to introduce a perfectly-timed pivot into the mix. Helping lead an 18-point comeback — tying a WNBA Finals record — that encouraged elevated heart rates and stunned silences within the Barclays Center crowd, the four-time All-Star steadies herself for perhaps the masterpiece’s final stroke in the final 10 seconds of a tied game. Undoubtedly knowing a maneuver or two to latch free of four-time All-Defensive Team selection Jonquel Jones, the cool-and-collected Collier works a deliberate mix of steps, spins, and gathers, ultimately pirouetting into a game-winning fadeaway bucket over the New York Liberty. Leaving behind zero doubt regarding her status as one of the WNBA’s absolute elites, Collier’s all-around showing prompted the following box score: 21 points (on 10-of-16 shooting), eight rebounds, two assists, three steals, and six blocks on October 10, 2024.