Napheesa Collier set for Lynx return after double ankle surgery
The Minnesota star is probable to make her season debut Wednesday against Seattle after missing the first 27 games of the Lynx season.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Napheesa Collier is on the brink of a long-awaited comeback for the Minnesota Lynx.
ESPN reported that the Lynx star is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game against the Seattle Storm, which puts her in line to make her season debut in Minnesota’s last game before the All-Star break.
Collier has been out since September 2025, when she tore three ligaments in her left ankle during Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals. ESPN reported she had also hurt her right ankle last August, an injury that kept her out for three weeks.
The recovery road included surgery on both ankles. According to ESPN, Collier had surgery on her right ankle on New Year’s Day, followed by surgery on her left ankle in March. Before the first procedure, she was initially given a four-to-six-month timetable.
She returned to team practice and activities on July 1, ESPN reported.
A major piece returns for the league leaders
Minnesota has managed just fine in the standings without its five-time All-Star. ESPN reported the Lynx are 21-6 and in first place, with rookie Olivia Miles playing a major role in their strong start.
Wednesday’s game against the Storm is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET, according to ESPN’s scoreboard. Seattle enters at 6-22.
Collier’s return would give Minnesota back one of the WNBA’s most complete players. ESPN reported she averaged 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game last season.
She also became the second player in league history to shoot 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 90% from the free throw line in a season, according to ESPN.
Reeve expects Collier to push hard
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told ESPN earlier this month that she planned to urge Collier to appreciate smaller steps as she works back into game shape.
Reeve said that approach may be hard for Collier, who she said “holds herself to a different standard.”
“[She] doesn't want to take time to get back,” Reeve told ESPN. “It also makes her really good and a chance for her to be successful more immediately than later. She doesn't want that, she doesn't want a minute restriction, and she doesn't want for people to expect less than greatness from her.”
Reeve added: “That's what makes great players great, no matter what the situation is.”
Collier was an early MVP front-runner during the 2025 season, according to ESPN, before the ankle injuries helped derail her year and Minnesota’s playoff push. The Lynx were beaten by the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals, missing out on a return to the WNBA Finals.
ESPN reported that the ankle problems were Collier’s first major injuries. In 2022, she made another quick return, getting back on the court 74 days after the birth of her first child so she could play one final stretch alongside Lynx legend Sylvia Fowles before Fowles retired.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.