Retrospectively, Napheesa Collier\u2019s absence, presence and future defined the 2026 WNBA season for the Minnesota Lynx.<\/p>\n
Maybe, had the Lynx not experienced another early and underwhelming playoff exit and instead, as many expected, were preparing to play in the WNBA Finals, this wouldn\u2019t be the case.<\/p>\n
But when looking back on how the segments of the season unfolded for Minnesota, it\u2019s hard not to see everything Lynx-related through the lens of Phee.<\/p>\n
The Lynx were Miles ahead without Phee<\/p>\n
An extended recovery from double-ankle surgery over the 2026 offseason delayed Collier\u2019s season debut until July 22 and would limit her 16 regular-season games.<\/p>\n
In Collier\u2019s stead, Olivia Miles, the No. 2 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, emerged as an instant sensation, a splashy and spectacular precocious point guard who, compiling a number of records as she cruised to Rookie of the Year honors, helped Minnesota defy expectations and claim the best record in the league.<\/p>\n
Head coach Cheryl Reeve also worked her magic for the Phee-less Lynx, not only guiding Miles ascendance but also maximizing the contributions of a veteran core as she would secure her record-extending fifth Coach of the Year award, in addition to becoming the WNBA\u2019s all-time winningest coach. She also was named the 2026 WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year, earning the honor for a record-tying third time in large part for the decision to select Miles at No. 2 overall.<\/p>\n
The rest of the roster that Reeve built also ensured that it was,\u201cNo Phee, no problem\u201d in Minnesota for the first half of the season. While Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard departed in free agency, Reeve retained Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams, while bringing back a better-than-ever Natasha Howard and tapping Nia Coffey Brodie as a perfect Phee fill-in.<\/p>\n
Things were going so well that concerns about the effect Collier\u2019s return would have on the league-best Lynx\u2014the epitome of a first-world problem\u2014were somewhat legitimate.<\/p>\n
The success of the Phee-less Lynx also prompted some premature burblings about Collier\u2019s future in Minnesota, although such speculation mostly seemed like the inventions of opposing fanbases or others interested in transactional drama.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Collier\u2019s decision to sign a one-year deal last offseason, in addition to comments that could be interpreted as her signaling the possibility of a future outside of Minnesota, invited those imaginings.<\/p>\n
Phee and the Lynx look like a Finals lock<\/p>\n
But then, Collier returned, looking fantastic.<\/p>\n
Of course, the two-time WNBA MVP runner up was only additive for the league-leading Lynx.<\/p>\n
Collier\u2019s instant reintegration and usual production seemed to cement Minnesota as title favorites as she and Miles began to establish a partnership that looked to be the foundation of the next Lynx dynasty. Our Zack Ward saw the vision<\/a>, envisioning the potential shared stardom of Phee and Liv as comparable to what Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles developed in the late 2010s.<\/p>\n After Phee returned to the court, the Lynx won 11 of 12 games, appearing even more on course to, finally, win the franchise\u2019s fifth WNBA championship.<\/p>\n Phee and the Lynx flame out, again<\/p>\n But then, two losses before the FIBA World Cup break were followed by a third-straight loss when play resumed. And from that point forward, the Lynx, especially Collier and Miles, were never right.<\/p>\n