Napheesa Collier set for Lynx season debut after ankle surgeries
Minnesota lists Napheesa Collier as probable against Seattle, giving the WNBA-leading Lynx another star just before the All-Star break.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Napheesa Collier is on the brink of her first WNBA minutes of 2026, and the Minnesota Lynx are getting her back while already sitting on top of the league.
The Lynx announced Tuesday that Collier is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game against the Seattle Storm. Minnesota also posted a social media message reading, “the Queen returns,” as the franchise prepared for the return of its All-WNBA forward.
Wednesday’s matchup is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET and will air on WNBA League Pass, according to CBS Sports. It is Minnesota’s final game before the All-Star break, which runs July 23-27.
Collier has missed the season so far after ankle injuries last year led to offseason surgery on both ankles. CBS Sports reported that one injury came during the regular season and another occurred during the Lynx’s playoff series against the Phoenix Mercury.
Her return comes with Minnesota already rolling. The Lynx enter the Seattle game at 21-6 and on a six-game winning streak, according to CBS Sports. They also edged the Storm 105-102 on Monday in the teams’ previous meeting.
A star returns to a first-place team
Collier’s absence did not knock Minnesota out of contention. CBS Sports noted that the Lynx have the best record in the league despite playing without her through the first part of the season.
Her 2025 form explains why her return matters. Collier averaged a career-high 22.9 points while shooting 53.1% from the floor and 40.3% from 3-point range, according to CBS Sports. She also averaged 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks.
Those numbers helped her earn first-team All-WNBA and first-team All-Defense honors. CBS Sports described her as one of the leading MVP candidates last season.
Collier spoke Saturday about the mental side of the rehab process, after previously joking that she had been “fighting” with doctors daily to return.
“I would say just embrace. One, I think everything happens for a reason,” Collier said Saturday. “And so whatever it is, this is the journey of my life. I can't control that I was injured, but I can control my mindset now.”
She added that she focused on rehab and staying connected with the team while sidelined.
“There's going to be things in life that happen that you can't control, but you can control your reaction to things and your outlook on it,” Collier said. “So I would say just shift inwards instead of outwards to the things that happen.”
Miles has helped carry Minnesota
Rookie Olivia Miles has been a major part of Minnesota’s strong start, according to CBS Sports. Miles is averaging 19.6 points on 50.1% shooting, plus 4.8 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.3 steals.
CBS Sports reported that coach Cheryl Reeve has pointed to Miles as the true point guard the Lynx needed. Miles played at TCU and Notre Dame before entering the WNBA, and her passing now gives Collier another creator to play with.
Minnesota has won four WNBA championships, most recently in 2017. Collier joined the Lynx in 2019, the same year she was named Rookie of the Year, and is still chasing her first league title.
The Lynx reached the Finals in 2024 before losing to the New York Liberty. Last year, Minnesota entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and lost in the semifinals to Phoenix. CBS Sports reported that Collier was hurt in the team’s next-to-last game of the season after a collision with Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, then missed the deciding Game 4 and the full season of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 winter league she co-founded with Breanna Stewart.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.