Lynx’s Napheesa Collier Returning to Court 10 1/2 Weeks After Giving Birth, per Report

All-WNBA forward Napheesa Collier will return to the Lynx lineup for Sunday’s matchup against the Dream, just 10 and a half weeks after giving birth, according to Chantel Jennings and Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The report noted that Collier is expected to start and will be on a minutes restriction. Officially, the Lynx have listed Collier as probable for the matchup.

The 25-year-old Collier returned to practice in late July, as she took part in non-contact, five-on-zero drills.

“The heart rate is what the biggest challenge is,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told The Star Tribune at the time.

“That and legs. I mean, her legs aren’t anywhere near ready. So she progressed a little bit.”

Since then, Collier has clearly made significant enough progress to get back into game shape and be ready to go for the stretch run of the season. 

Collier averaged 16.2 points and 6.6 rebounds on 44.1% shooting last season for Minnesota. She has been one of the league’s rising stars since her arrival to the league in 2019, when she was named Rookie of the Year.

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