Minnesota

Napheesa Collier’s stellar play has led the Minnesota Lynx to the top of the WNBA

Published

4 months ago

September 17, 2024

Napheesa Collier’s stellar play has led the Minnesota Lynx to the top of the WNBA

Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx have been nearly unbeatable since the Olympic break.

The Lynx star, who helped the United States win its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal, has been averaging 20.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists and the team has won 12 of 13 since the Paris Games to surge into second place in the standings.

She’s also been an anchor on the defensive end as the Lynx have only given up an average of 78 points in those games. In the last four contests, including a huge win over the New York Liberty on Sunday, Minnesota hasn’t allowed a team to reach 80 points.

“Each year she knows that if she plays like an MVP that our team has a chance to be highly successful,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “That’s what we’ve seen this year. Both sides, her impact defensively each night there are different ways you can use her. She’s defensive player of the year and MVP, that’s why were are sitting where we are.”

In any other year where A’ja Wilson wasn’t putting up historic numbers, Collier would be a front runner for the league’s top award. Unfortunately for the Lynx star, Wilson has been truly amazing, becoming the first player in WNBA history to score more than 1,000 points in a season and averaging 27.0 points — the highest in league history.

That doesn’t take away from what Collier and the Lynx have done. Coming into the season, Minnesota wasn’t talked about much as one of the elite teams in the league like Las Vegas, New York or Seattle. The Lynx have broken through, winning the Commissioner’s Cup earlier in the year and now finishing as one of the top three teams in the regular season.

Minnesota Lynx v Las Vegas Aces — Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx drives past Chelsea Gray #12 of the Las Vegas Aces during the first quarter at Michelob ULTRA Arena on August 21, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

/ Getty Images

“We have a strong, strong feel for who we are and if I could describe our team, I would say everyone is comfortable in their own skin and we all accept each other for who we are and that just gives us all confidence,” Reeve said.

Minnesota took over the top spot in the AP WNBA poll from New York, marking the first time this season the Lynx have been No. 1 and ending the Liberty’s 10-week run. They fell to No. 2. Las Vegas moved up to third with Connecticut and Indiana next. Seattle, Phoenix and Chicago followed the Fever. Washington and Atlanta were eighth and ninth while Dallas and Los Angeles rounded out the poll.

Caitlin Clark continued her assault on the WNBA record books. She broke the rookie single-season scoring record, taking down Seimone Augustus’ mark of 744 points set in 2006. The Indiana Fever rookie had a season-best 35 points in the win over Dallas to do it. Two days earlier, Clark broke the WNBA mark for assists in a single season, passing Alyssa Thomas’ record set last year when she had 316. Clark now has 329 with one game to play in Washington on Thursday.

Sparks rookie Rickea Jackson had another solid week, averaging 20 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists as Los Angeles lost all three of its games. On the season, the former Tennessee star is averaging 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

Wilson had another impressive set of games to earn AP Player of the Week honors as the Aces star averaged 23.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks to help Las Vegas go 3-0 and stay in the hunt for the No. 3 seed. Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell also received votes.

The WNBA playoffs begin Sunday with all four opening round series playing their Game 1s.

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Minnesota

Are winters in Minnesota getting colder?

Published

6 hours ago

January 22, 2025

Press Room

Are winters in Minnesota getting colder? – CBS Minnesota

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We are slowly climbing out of the frigid cold of this arctic outbreak. The cold served as a stinging reminder of what the bold north is capable of this time of year. But is it as cold as it used to be? Good Question. Jeff Wagner tallied how often we dip below zero.

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Minnesota

Over $600K worth of illicit cannabis found in Minnesota marijuana stores in 2024

Published

14 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Press Room

Over 0K worth of illicit cannabis found in Minnesota marijuana stores in 2024

As the delayed process to license legal cannabis dispensaries continues, Minnesota is trying to keep a lid on its growing illegal cannabis market.

According to a 2025 report by the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), the agency found more than 199 lbs of illicit cannabis flower at 134 sites from January to October of 2024. That’s around $607,000 worth of flower voluntarily destroyed by businesses upon inspection.

Four business entities were fined $10,000 each in civil penalties.

“Additional challenges encountered by the office related to the illicit cannabis market include: the practice of businesses ‘gifting’ cannabis along with other purchases, online cannabis sales and mobile cannabis delivery services, peddler stands selling product at family friendly events like the Minnesota State Fair, and other large public cannabis events,” the report read.

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A chart from a January 2025 report by the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management shows June 2024 had the largest amount of cannabis destroyed upon inspection.

Courtesy of Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management

Minnesota legalized recreational use of marijuana in August 2023 but has struggled to get business licensing on track. Last November, a Ramsey County judge halted the state’s pre-approved licensing lottery after a group of applicants who were denied access sued Minnesota’s cannabis office.

The state agency still does not have a permanent director. Earlier this month interim head Charlene Briner left the role and was replaced by Eric Taubel, who had served as general counsel at the cannabis department for the past year.

The sale of recreational cannabis is not yet legal. That means “the illicit cannabis market continues to play a role in cannabis consumption in Minnesota,” according to the OCM.

The only option for recreational use now is home-grown marijuana.

“Given the illicit nature of illegal sales of cannabis, the size of such a market is not able to be determined with complete accuracy or consistency,” said the state agency in the 2025 report.

Last week, the window for verification of social equity applicants was opened and has a deadline for Jan. 30. A revamped timeline now puts the general licensing lottery between May and June, tentatively.

According to a survey by the OCM on cannabis use, 40 percent of Minnesotans consumed cannabis daily or almost daily. Participants also reported obtaining an average of 24 grams of cannabis within the past month, which is slightly higher than the national average and comparable Midwest states — “suggesting a robust market for cannabis-related businesses.”

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Minnesota

Minnesota weather: A cold day Tuesday with evening light snowflakes

Published

21 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Press Room

Minnesota weather: A cold day Tuesday with evening light snowflakes

Extreme Cold Warning

until TUE 12:00 PM CST, Jackson County, Lincoln County, Nobles County, Rock County, Cottonwood County, Murray County, Lyon County, Pipestone County, Big Stone County, Traverse County, West Marshall County, Lake Of The Woods County, Clay County, West Becker County, East Polk County, Mahnomen County, East Marshall County, Wilkin County, Kittson County, Norman County, Hubbard County, North Beltrami County, Red Lake County, Wadena County, East Otter Tail County, North Clearwater County, Pennington County, East Becker County, Grant County, West Otter Tail County, West Polk County, South Clearwater County, South Beltrami County, Roseau County, Carlton/South St. Louis Counties, North Itasca County, South Itasca County, Crow Wing County, Southern Cook/North Shore County, North St. Louis County, South Aitkin County, South Cass County, Northern Aitkin County, Northern Cook/Northern Lake Counties, Pine County, Southern Lake/North Shore, North Cass County, Central St. Louis County, Koochiching County, Wabasha County, Houston County, Olmsted County, Winona County, Mower County, Fillmore County, Dodge County, Washburn County, Burnett County, Douglas County, Buffalo County

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