Napheesa Collier Joins WNBA 50/40/90 Club, Bolstering MVP Case
Lynx forward sank the needed 3-pointers in Chicago to finish the season at 50/40/90, becoming only the second player in league history to do so amid a heated MVP race.
Napheesa Collier became the second player in WNBA history to finish a season in the 50/40/90 club Thursday night, hitting the shots she needed in a win against the Valkyries to vault past the milestone and further burnish her MVP résumé.
The Minnesota Lynx forward went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc in the game in Chicago, after calculating earlier in the week how many makes she required to reach the benchmark of at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line. Only Elena Delle Donne of the Washington Mystics had previously completed a WNBA season at those splits, doing so in 2019 when she also won the league's MVP award.
Collier's late-season efficiency surge has amplified discussion around the league's MVP race. Voters and commentators have debated whether Collier or A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces should take the honor, and at least one voter outlined a ballot placing Collier over Wilson in a published column on Tuesday. The debate intensified as Collier's statistical profile gained the rarity and precision associated with 50/40/90 seasons.
Coaches, front offices and media members who cast official award ballots typically weigh both individual production and team performance. Collier's achievement adds an historic statistical distinction to her case; Delle Donne's 2019 50/40/90 season and subsequent MVP vote have been cited repeatedly as a parallel.
League observers noted the planning that preceded Collier's final games. Teammates and staff said she tracked her shooting percentages closely and adjusted her preparation to secure the necessary attempts and makes. The result was a controlled performance that combined volume from deep with efficiency at the rim and the foul line.
The milestone is rare at any professional level. Achieving combined thresholds of 50 percent overall shooting, 40 percent on 3-pointers and 90 percent from the free-throw line demonstrates both shot selection and consistency. In the WNBA, where minute distribution and defensive attention can vary widely, the feat has taken on added significance among evaluators.
Collier's accomplishment arrives with the regular season winding down and award conversations moving toward final ballots. Her statistical milestone, along with recent play, will factor into how voters finalize their choices for MVP and other end-of-season honors.