Is it possible that at 17 months, she no longer needs a nap? I handled my daughter a bit differently in that I had no set "nap time" for her - when she was tired, I let her sleep. She didn't need the nap anymore by the time she was 2. Unless I had her in the car, and then she'd always nod out.
If she's crying constantly, you might want to run it past your pediatrician to rule out something medical.
Maybe you can take the battle out of bedtime by establishing a routine. Brush teeth, wash face, read 2 or 3 stories, and then hug and kiss and lights out. It generally worked well with my dd, except for when my husband would come home and break the routine. Maybe make it this way for a week. If she cries when she's in bed, let her cry - she'll either cry herself to sleep or learn very quickly that this behavior won't win her any attention. I don't know, maybe you already have a routine, but if not - try it and stick with it. They learn fast.