Napheesa Collier has missed significant time only twice in her WNBA career. The first came in 2022, when she took maternity leave. This season, she has been sidelined after undergoing surgery on both ankles.
She says coming back from pregnancy was harder physically, but “I don’t have a baby at the end of this. I was ‘injured’ at least for a good reason on the other one.”
Her daughter’s name, Mila, is embroidered on the inside of Collier’s new player exclusive shoe, the Jordan Heir Series 2 “Queen Phee.”
She agrees the detail is the most special part. “I have to wear her everywhere that I go,” Collier said, while also sporting a gold necklace spelling out her daughter’s name.
Collier opted for surgery after the 2025 season and a lingering ankle sprain. The surgeries have kept her out of commission this year, but the team has found success thanks in large part to star rookie Olivia Miles. The Lynx are 19-6 and sit at the top of the league.
Collier is a five-time all-star and a two-time Olympic gold medalist for Team USA. She led the Lynx to playoff appearances every season she has been with the team — except during her 2022 maternity leave.
As Collier’s return from injury approaches, she says it feels different this time. Coach Cheryl Reeve has described her as “Queen FOMO” (Fear Of Missing Out), and Collier says the moniker is “probably accurate.”
“It’s really hard,” Collier said. “Of course, I want to be out there with my teammates. You never want to be on the sideline. So I’m just itching to get back out there with them.”
She says it’s a daily fight with the team’s doctors and physical therapists as she tries to get back on the court. She has returned to practice over the past few weeks. That return has helped her grow more comfortable, regaining her speed and explosiveness.
“You do your rehab and you get your body strong, but there’s nothing like in game to get that rust off and to get that last, like, hesitation or whatever it is out of your system,” Collier said.
And while Collier isn’t checking into games, she’s still a core part of the team. When Reeve passed the WNBA coaching wins record, Collier was in the locker room to celebrate. And she crowned Reeve with a gold chain that read, “Got that dawg in me.”
Next weekend brings the WNBA all-star break. Miles, Natasha Howard and Courtney Williams were selected and are heading to Chicago. But for the rest of the team, the six-day break will be appreciated. The last time they had a day off, according to Eliška Hamzová, was when wildfire smoke reached hazardous levels.
“I think everybody is getting tired, because it’s almost three months in a row without a day off,” Hamzová said. “So we need to recharge our batteries. I think we’ll enjoy it.”