Caitlin Clark had one of the best, and certainly most impactful, rookie seasons in WNBA history. And yes, it can now be described in the past tense.

The Indiana Fever star brought new eyes to the women’s professional basketball, and they’re not all going to leave after her team’s exit from the playoffs.

Behind Collier’s 42 points, the Lynx downed the Mercury, 101-88, sending Minnesota back to the WNBA semifinals for the first time since the 2020 bubble season. With Collier playing at this level, the expectations from its fanbase to bring home a championship are as high as it has been since the aughts, when the Lynx won four in seven seasons.

The Phoenix Mercury were eliminated by the Minnesota Lynx in Game 2 of their first round series, potentially the final game of Diana Taurasi's career.

Napheesa Collier scored 42 to tie a WNBA playoff record for points in a game, and the Minnesota Lynx swept the Phoenix Mercury 101-88 on Wednesday night