Cheryl Reeve Has 'Plan Accordingly' Take on Napheesa Collier's Uncertain Lynx Future
An exchange that Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and NPR's Steve Inskeep had when speaking about Collier's one-year contract in a May 6 interview has gotten a lot of attention from the women's basketball community.
At one point in the interview, Collier was asked, "Your fans want to know one other thing: Why did you sign for just one year?"
"I am so focused on the now. Like, I just came off two ankle surgeries. I'm trying to get back on the court. And this was such a whirlwind. We had the CBA going on, and all these things, everything was happening so fast. I just wanted to be able to focus on getting on the court with my team this year and winning a championship," Collier responded.
The interviewer then noted that the Lynx likely would have given her however long a contract she wanted, to which Collier said, "Again, I think just like not looking too far into the future in that way, and that I want to be able to stay focused on my recovery. I've never had surgery before like this. I've never had to come back from injury. Um, this is new for me, and I wanted to be able to give it my all and focus on the now."
She added that there will always be opportunities when a player isn't under contract with a team, but that is so far away that it's not on her mind right now.
he tried his best lmao https://t.co/tnrlqvfuG6 pic.twitter.com/ZpkEHROW7k
— Vanshay 🎥 NEW ACCOUNT (@mvanshay) May 6, 2026
These responses from Collier went viral on social media, as fans were quick to note how noncommittal she was about her Lynx future, and that she seemed unwilling to directly address why she opted for a one-year deal.
Cheryl Reeve's 'Cautious' Claim About Napheesa Collier's Lynx Future Turns Heads
Collier's entire WNBA career has been in Minnesota, under head coach Cheryl Reeve. Because of this, it was always going to be interesting to hear Reeve's response to Collier's comments. And she addressed it when speaking to the media on May 7.
When asked about Collier signing a one-year deal, she said, "Every player was different in terms of how they felt. So, Phee and I had a conversation in January. Some of it was, there was so much uncertainty about how everyone was going to feel when the CBA hit... And some uncertainty. And we had some uncertainty around our franchise because of Phee, and the injury, and then maybe her not necessarily coming out and saying, 'I’m definitely here. I want to do this, and I’m going to be there for X-number of years.'
"And so that’s Phee’s journey, that’s her free agency journey... I would use the word cautious. I think she’s being cautious, and that’s her decision," Reeve continued, per an X post from Andrew Dukowitz.
Cheryl Reeve on Napheesa Collier signing a 1 year deal opposed to a longer deal
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) May 7, 2026
“Every player was different in terms of how they felt so Phee and I had a conversation in January, some of it was there was so much uncertainty about how everyone was going to feel when the CBA hit…… pic.twitter.com/DAfcPIWtav
Reeve was later asked whether there's an expectation for Collier to be in Minnesota long-term, and she said, "I think that would be really unfair. I have no expectations, because next year, Phee is a free agent... 14 teams will be after Phee, 15, actually, if you include Minnesota. And Phee has never been a free agent before, because she was cored. She's not the only one to sign a one-year contract," per an X post from Dukowitz.
"Each player, each journey is different. Maybe something different on their minds. It would have been really easy for Phee to say Give me a super max for 4 years, and I’m set, financially.' It wasn’t the path she wanted, and we have to respect that. And plan accordingly,” Reeve concluded.
Cheryl Reeve on if the expectation is for Napheesa Collier is to sign with the Lynx long term
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) May 7, 2026
“I think that would be really unfair, I have no expectations because next year Phee is a free agent that means… 14 teams will be after Phee, 15 if you include Minnesota and Phee has… pic.twitter.com/jEetr2GZB0
The good news for the Lynx is that Collier is under contract this year. The bad news is that she'll miss a lot of the season, and that her future with the franchise is far from guaranteed.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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