University of Connecticut Athletics
Collier Named WNBA Rookie of the Year
9/16/2019 8:43:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK – Former UConn women's basketball All-American and current Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier was named the 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year, announced Monday.
Collier received 29 of 43 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. She is the fifth Husky to win WNBA Rookie of the Year following Diana Taurasi (2004), Tina Charles (2010), Maya Moore (2011) and Breanna Stewart (2016).
The O'Fallon, Mo., native was also a unanimous selection to the WNBA All-Rookie Team.
Collier averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.91 steals and 0.94 blocked shots while starting all 34 regular-season games and logging a WNBA-high 33.3 minutes per game. She shot 49.0 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from three-point range and 79.2 percent from the free throw line.
Among WNBA rookies, Collier ranked second in scoring, rebounding, blocks and field goal percentage and finished third in assists and three-point field goal percentage. She led rookies in steals and ranked fourth in that category among all WNBA players.
Collier became the fourth player in WNBA history to record at least 400 points, 200 rebounds, 75 assists, 50 steals, 25 blocks and 25 three-pointers made in a season. The other three players to reach those totals in a season are Maya Moore, Tamika Catchings and Sheryl Swoopes.
This season, Collier became the first Minnesota rookie selected to the WNBA All-Star Game since Moore in 2011. The 6-1 Collier was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for July and the WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week for Aug. 19-25.
