Napheesa Collier Shares Major Injury Update Following Her SuperMax Signing

Napheesa Collier has been in the news often this WNBA offseason. Trying to push for pay equity, the Minnesota Lynx star played a major role in crafting the latest CBA. During the negotiation phase, the 29-year-old urged players to save up for the worst-case scenario. 

Thankfully, as the Board of Governors finally approved the new CBA, things are looking extremely upbeat. Unfortunately, despite all the bright news coming in, Collier will be struggling with her injury significantly. And ahead of the new season, the 5-time WNBA All-Star provided some insights.

Napheesa Collier Remains Tight-Lipped About Her Injury Update

Suffering multiple surgeries on her ankle, the 29-year-old star is currently in the recovery process. While she is expected to miss the initial half of the season, her return timeline is pretty much unknown. The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game MVP addressed the media recently and discussed her recovery progress.

Collier stated, “I think the Lynx are releasing a statement about that later but right now I’m just working as fast as I can with my doctors and Pt staff and just trying to get back on the court, everything is going well so you’ll see me soon.”

Napheesa Collier on when she will be back from her ankle surgery

“I think the Lynx are releasing a statement about that later but right now I’m just working as fast as I can with my doctors and Pt staff and just trying to get back on the court, everything is going well so… pic.twitter.com/SvLCKyAG7f

— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) April 17, 2026

Surely, this was not a definitive answer. But the team’s emphasis on the veteran star suggests that the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year could return soon. 

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With all the teams securing their core, Lynx, too, did not lag behind. Recently, they signed Collier to a $1.4 million supermax contract extension. This was pretty much expected as the star player is coming off a 50/40/90 season. Meanwhile, even as the cloud does not seem to clear out over the Lynx’s star’s injury, the team looks pretty much confident in Collier’s abilities. 

Cheryl Reeve Heaps Praises On Napheesa Collier

The 3-time WNBA All-Star has been a core member of the team for many years. But come 2027, the 29-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent. However, this bit of news does not seem to bother the front office. Looking back at her recent performances, Collier had been the MVP runner-up in the last couple of seasons. 

Speaking about the star player’s impact on the team, head coach Reeve said, “Phee has been such an integral part of the Lynx since she was drafted in 2019. Coming off a historic 50/40/90 season and guiding the Lynx to the most wins in franchise history, Phee is hungry to position the Lynx for a championship run in 2026.”

Thus, with a lot of hopes pinned on Collier, all eyes will be on how she stands up to the expectations.