Napheesa Collier faces a big decision about returning to the Lynx as WNBA free agency awaits

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier had a particularly late start to her eighth season with the Minnesota Lynx, following surgery on both ankles that delayed her 2026 debut until just before the All-Star break.

After an abruptly disappointing finish for the Lynx in the WNBA playoffs, the smooth-shooting and defensively tough forward the team has tried to build a title contender around is uncertain to return.

Collier will be one of the most prominent players in the league to enter free agency before the 2027 season, along with Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell and Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young. Collier signed a one-year contract with Minnesota following the new collective bargaining agreement that brought a surge of higher salaries to the sport’s biggest stars.

“Whatever she decides, we’re both going to be OK,” head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said after the Lynx were swept in two games by the New York Liberty in the first round of the playoffs.

Collier was drafted with the sixth overall pick in 2019 out of Connecticut, two years after the Lynx won their last of four WNBA championships.

“What ‘Phee’ has given this franchise, we’re super proud of. And we’re super proud of the work we’ve poured into her,” Reeve said. “If she lands on being here, great. And if there’s something better for her, that’s life.”

Collier, for her part, was not ready to dive into such a major decision during her exit interview session with reporters so soon after the last game.

“I can tell you that I love it here. I love the organization. I love my team and everything like that, but I just haven’t had the time to give that any thought,” said Collier, who was limited to 16 games during the regular season and watched WNBA Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles carry the club in her absence.

The five-time All-Star and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award winner had plenty of adjustments to make once she rejoined the lineup, with a true point guard in Miles and veteran Courtney Williams moving to the shooting guard spot. After the Lynx lost Game 1 to the Liberty, Reeve said she thought Collier needed to be more assertive on offense, one of many shortcomings for them in the series.

Collier is eager for a full offseason to work on her game without the rehabilitation process dominating her time. The 30-year-old expressed confidence that the Lynx with their current core are good enough to win a title, despite a second straight early exit from the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. But there’s a possibility they’ll take their next swing without her.

“Of course I don’t want that to be my last game with ‘Phee,’ and she knows that, but I also want her to figure out what this next chapter looks like for her and make the best decision for her,” teammate Kayla McBride said. “I want that to be here of course, but I just want her to choose her.”

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