The new year will bring the WNBA stars back on the floor with Unrivaled League season 2 starting from January 5. Many fans and players are excited for the same, with NBA star Stephen Curry even promoting the league with special sneakers. Sadly, founder and star player Napheesa Collier will miss the season due to injury.
Earlier, Satou Sabally shared a cryptic message after an indefinite Unrivaled absence due to a concussion. The Lynx star is another big name missing from the action. While Sabally is expected to recover before the start of the 2026 season (expected in May), there is uncertainty over Phee’s availability.
Napheesa Collier’s Probable Return Date
During the intense matchup against the Phoenix Mercury, cameras caught Collier’s brutal collision with Alyssa Thomas that ruled out Minnesota Lynx’s star in Game 3. The latter incidents kept the coach and player out of action for the next game, which eventually ended their run in the season.
Meanwhile, the former UConn star provided a positive update on her injury, hoping to make it to the Unrivaled league. However, recently, the doctors decided to take precautionary action and will proceed with the operation. This will sideline the layer for a minimum of four months to six months.
Breaking: Napheesa Collier will undergo surgery on her ankles, sidelining her for four to six months and forcing her to miss the upcoming Unrivaled season, the league announced Thursday. pic.twitter.com/2WG2NY0SxP
— ESPN (@espn) January 1, 2026
This puts her away from the game till the All-Star break, as the Lynx will have to look to start their campaign without their megastar and anchor. The 28-year-old already suffered an injury just before the playoffs, but returned in time to guide the side to the semifinals of the 2025 postseason.
Scroll to continue reading
Trending WNBA News
Just like the Minnesota franchise, the player is sad by the news and the prolonged absence as she reflects on the news.
Napheesa Collier Reacts To Her Operation
Collier was hoping for a better announcement as she was ready for the new season and looking to get her Lunar Owls to the championship. The MVP of the inaugural season, though, had to swallow the bitter pill and will be just a spectator in season 2.
Reacting to the news, Collier wrote on social media, “I am heartbroken to share that I will miss this Unrivaled season. I have fought hard over the last few months to be back with my [Lunar] Owls and was devastated to be told by my team of doctors that surgery was the best path forward. I will still be cheering on my teammates every step of the way, and I will continue to work relentlessly with the rest of the players and our staff to push our sport forward and raise the bar for women’s basketball.”
The league is now famous among the fans, but Collier’s absence will certainly hurt her team and fanbase.