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Napheesa Collier's Injury Status Updated Before Lynx-Dream Game

The WNBA MVP frontrunner could be inching closer to a return with her latest status update

Will Despart

Jul 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Lynx during the first half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Jul 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Lynx during the first half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The WNBA held its breath when Minnesota Lynx star and league MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier went down with what appeared to be a significant leg injury in Minnesota's Aug. 2 win over the Las Vegas Aces.

Collier avoided the worst as MRIs confirmed an ankle sprain, but she's still missed the last five games while nursing the injury. Fortunately, the Lynx received an encouraging update on her potential return on Wednesday, ahead of their big matchup against the playoff-bound Atlanta Dream on Thursday.

The Lynx won their first four games following Collier's injury, but suffered an 85-75 setback against the New York Liberty in a 2024 Finals rematch on Tuesday. Two-time WNBA All-Star Courtney Williams has taken the mantle as Minnesota's leader in Collier's absence, leading the team in scoring in three of the five games Collier has missed.

Collier's Health Update

With the playoffs quickly approaching in less than a month, the latest update regarding Collier's health is undoubtedly a massive relief for the Lynx organization and its fans. The Lynx upgraded Collier's status from out to doubtful ahead of their trip to Atlanta on Thursday, likely signaling that the MVP favorite will return with a few games to spare before the postseason.

While winning is certainly the main goal for Collier, the fact that she's coming back to a much closer MVP race than she left when she went down at the start of the month. The Aces, who lost by a franchise-record 53 points in that fateful Aug. 2 contest, have since ripped off eight consecutive wins on the shoulders of eight monstrous performances by A'ja Wilson.

Wilson, the reigning and three-time MVP winner, had odds as steep as +5000 to win the award for a fourth time on July 30. Collier, at that point, was still a -1000 favorite. In 18 days so far that Collier has been out of Minnesota's lineup, Wilson's odds have improved to +325 to win the award, while Collier's odds have increased to -325. Still a heavy favorite, but far from the foregone conclusion it was.

The Lynx have 10 regular-season games remaining, beginning with a 7:30 ET tip-off against the Dream at the Gateway Center in College Park, GA.

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Will Despart
WILL DESPART

Will Despart is a Las Vegas-based sportswriter who covers the NBA for OnSI. He also writes for Ballislife and handles multiple beats for The Sporting Tribune, including the Las Vegas Aces and Las Vegas Raiders. His reporting has been featured in newspapers across the country through the Field Level Media news wire.

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