Lynx's Napheesa Collier to Undergo Surgery, Miss Unrivaled Season

She's been the WNBA MVP runner-up each of the last two years.

Napheesa Collier has made four All-WNBA teams in a decorated career. / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Lynx forward Napheesa Collier helped found Unrivaled as an offseason showcase for women's basketball players—but she won't be around for its second season.

Collier will miss the Unrivaled season due to surgery on both of her ankles, the league announced Thursday morning. The timeline for her recovery is four to sixth months, which could potentially threaten her availability for the start of Minnesota's season.

Depending on the precise recovery timeline, the injury could be a blow to the Lynx, who are coming off their best record in eight years at 34-10. Minnesota lost in the league semifinals to the Mercury last year after losing in the WNBA Finals to the Liberty the year before.

Collier, 29, has made four All-WNBA and five All-Star teams over the course of her seven-year career. She has been the MVP runner-up each of the last two seasons, was the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, and averaged a career-high 22.9 points per game in 2025. In college, she made three AP All-America teams at UConn.

In addition to her Unrivaled duties, Collier is a prominent member of the WNBPA executive committee, which is locked in reportedly bitter contract negotiations with the WNBA.

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