St. Louisan Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx was selected to the WNBA All-Star Game.
Collier, 26, will be making her third All-Star Game appearance in her fifth season in the league. The WNBA All-Star Game will be held on Saturday, July 15 in Las Vegas.
A former All-American at Incarnate Word Academy, the 6’1” Collier has been having a stellar fifth season for the Lynx. Heading into Saturday night’s game against the Phoenix Mercury, Collier is averaging a career-high 22.4 points a game.
Collier is also averaging 7.7 rebounds a game while shooting 49 percent from the field. She is also averaging 2.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks a game.
Collier put together a pair of tremendous performances in victories over the Seattle Storm during the week. In the first game, she had 33 points and 10 rebounds in a 104-93 home court victory over the Storm. In the return game at Seattle, Collier had 31 points, eight rebounds, six blocks and five steals in the Lynx’ 99-97 overtime victory. Collier provided the game winning basket on a fadeaway jumper with 1.8 seconds left in overtime.
After the Lynx started the season with five consecutive losses, Collier has been on quite a roll in the past 10 games in leading the Lynx to a 6-4 record during that stretch. In those 10 games, she is averaging 25.3 points and 8.6 rebounds a game.
Jude James Commits to Missouri
Francis Howell High football standout Jude James has given a commitment to the University of Missouri.
The 6’4” 200-pound two-way athlete is one of the state’s top prospects in the Class of 2024 and a big get for Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz. He was one of the major players in the Vikings’ run to the Class 5 state championship last fall. It was the first state title in football in the school’s history.
As a junior, James had 27 receptions for 584 yards and eight touchdowns on offense. He was also a force on the defensive side of the ball with 119 tackles and four interceptions. He earned All-State honors for his efforts last season.
Antwon McKay Commits to Western Illinois
Standout quarterback Antwon McKay Jr. of Cardinal Ritter College Prep has given a commitment to Western Illinois University.
The 6’3” 165-pound senior was at the controls of the Lions’ offense that rolled to a 14-0 record and the Class 3 state championship last season. As a junior, McKay completed 99 of 170 passes for 1,654 yards and 16 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He also scored two rushing touchdowns. He was also a standout in track and field as he finished fourth in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles at the Class 3 state championships in Jefferson City in May.
Arhmad Branch Ends Three-Sport Career as a State Champion
Festus High three-sport standout Arhmad Branch concluded his stellar senior season as a state champion. He was a star athlete for the Tigers in football, basketball and track and field.
Branch ended his senior year by helping lead the Tigers to the Class 4 state championship in track and field. He won the individual state title in the long jump with a school-record jump of 23 feet 4 inches. He also earned All-State honors with a fourth-place finish in the triple jump.
Branch was a four-year starter on the basketball team and one of the top players in Jefferson County. As a senior, he averaged 22 points, three rebounds, five assists and four steals a game in leading the Tigers to a 20-9 record. The 6’1” point guard also entertained fans with his electrifying dunks throughout his career.
On the football field, Branch was a standout wide receiver who caught 48 passes for 897 yards and 15 touchdowns. He started playing football as a junior and he played well enough to earn a scholarship to Purdue, which is where he will begin his collegiate career in the fall.
