Napheesa Collier: Lynx Get Injury Update on Star After Elimination

The Minnesota forward has had an eventful week.
Napheesa Collier has a fall of rehab ahead of her.
Napheesa Collier has a fall of rehab ahead of her. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Lynx forward Napheesa Collier's season ended in painful fashion with an injury in her team's penultimate game—and now Minnesota has reportedly determined the severity of the injury.

"Collier suffered a Grade 2 tear of three ligaments in her left ankle and a muscle in her shin," ESPN's Ramona Shelburne wrote Wednesday afternoon. Per Shelburne, Collier needs six weeks to recover from her injury, which would've knocked her out for the remainder of the postseason had the Lynx advanced.

The UConn product sustained the injury in Game 3 of Minnesota's semifinal series against the Mercury, which Phoenix won 84–76. During the game, Collier collided with Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas late, triggering an irate reaction from Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve—who incurred a suspension for her actions.

In her 2025 exit interview, the two-time defending MVP runner-up took to task the WNBA for its perceived poor leadership on issues ranging from officiating to labor negotiations.

Phoenix is scheduled to play the Aces in this year's Finals, which open Friday.


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .