Stewart, the 2023 league MVP, is seeking the third championship of her career, but her first in two seasons with the Liberty after losing to the Las Vegas Aces in the title round last year.
Collier, the 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year after she was selected sixth overall in the draft by the Lynx, has finished in the top five in MVP voting three times in the past five years.The 6-foot-1 forward also was named the league’s top defensive player this season, and she also was a teammate of Stewart’s and Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s for Team USA’s gold-medal victory this summer at the Paris Olympics.
Both players posted 20.4 points per game to lead their respective teams during the regular season, but Collier has increased her scoring average to a league-best 27.1 points with 9.7 rebounds over seven postseason appearances in the first two rounds against Phoenix and Connecticut. “Obviously, they’ve beaten us a few times, but I don’t think they’ve seen us at our best. It’s a new season now, and we have to bring our best.”