A shiver was probably sent down the spine of everyone in the league today when they heard 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier was practicing with her team after sustaining injuries to both ankles last season. There is no specific timeline for her yet, but starting to practice with the team hints at a return soon.
During last season, Collier played through ankle injuries on both legs. It started at the beginning of August when she sprained her right ankle, causing her to miss three weeks and ultimately cost her the MVP race. She was back for the first round of the WNBA playoffs against the Phoenix Mercury in late September, but tore three ligaments during a collision with Alyssa Thomas.
In December, Collier announced that she wouldn't be able to play in the Unrivaled league, the league she co-founded, so she could focus on rehabbing her legs. Plans changed for her in January when she announced that, after further evaluation, she would need surgery on both of her ankles and miss 4-6 months. Now, about five months later, Collier started her transition back to the lineup, and she couldn't be joining at a more perfect time.
Napheesa Collier and Olivia Miles duo is waiting
The Minnesota Lynx have been defying all expectations that were set at the beginning of the season. They were expected to have a lackluster season due to Collier's absence. But, lucky for them, they drafted a generational talent in Olivia Miles, revitalizing the team.
Without the five-time All-Star, the Lynx are still leading the Western Conference with a 15-4 record. Miles has been the leader on the Lynx as a rookie and leads the team in points and assists. She's been a true floor general for the team, facilitating the offense. Their games are very different from each other, but Miles has been able to fill the gap of having the offense run through her, something that was true for Collier.
Miles is filling the offense gap, but an offseason signing for the Lynx has been filling the defensive gap. Natasha Howard, a two-time All-Star who won a Championship with the Lynx in 2017, has been their biggest addition in free agency. At 34 years old, she doesn't play like it because she's been putting up career numbers. She leads the team in rebounds and steals while being the second-leading scorer. Last week, Howard won the Player of the Week Award in the Western Conference after averaging 21 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals.
Collier addressed the media at practice and didn't get an exact timetable for her expected first start, but said her rehab is progressing well.
“It’s been going well, I’m progressing really well but obviously it’s hard to be out, not to be with the team," Collier said. I’ve been trying to take advantage of it, get healthy, bring my perspective which is different from the sideline than on the court. So trying to be like a player coach out there for them, as best as I can but it definitely feels better to be on the court”
Those players are balling alongside other core pieces of Minnesota's success in recent seasons, making Collier's return even more worrisome for the league.
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