One of the worst-kept secrets around the WNBA rumor mill all season has been that the Golden State Valkyries could pursue Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier in free agency this summer.
The Valkyries are in need of an offensive star to be their No. 1 option, and Collier was MVP runner-up as recently as one year ago. She is the kind of player teams should pursue, as at her best, she is a supermax talent and still firmly in her prime.
Suddenly, however, that free-agent decision is much closer, as Collier and the Lynx were just swept out of the playoffs by the No. 8 seed New York Liberty. As the shock of that upset reverberates through the league, everyone has to ask questions.
Does this loss make it more or less likely that Collier walks in free agency? And does it change anything about the Valkyries' interest?
What will Collier decide to do?
Those connecting the dots between Golden State and Collier had many reasons to do so. She is an offensive force, the likes of which the Valkyries simply do not have on their current roster. Just last season she averaged 22.9 points and shot 40 percent from 3-point range.
In addition to money and role, the Valkyries can also offer connection. Collier and Golden State's current All-Star, Gabby Williams, played together at the University of Connecticut. Those ties run deep, and it would not be the first time that former UConn players teamed up around the WNBA.
All of this depends, of course, on whether Collier wants to leave the Lynx. On the one hand, she did sign a one-year contract last offseason, setting herself up to hit free agency. She could certainly have signed a multi-year deal, as most of her superstar compatriots did. And the emergence of rookie star guard Olivia Miles means the Lynx are pivoting to another era, one for which Collier would be a supporting member, not the centerpiece star.
On the other hand, Collier has played her entire career in Minnesota, and leaving after such a loss may not sit well with her. She came very close in 2024 to bringing a championship back to Minnesota, but they lost a hard-fought series to this same Liberty squad.
Now defeat has come back around. Will that lead Collier to stay and try to end on a high note? Or will she realize that the Lynx need to go through a retooling phase and leave to continue contending elsewhere?
Do the Valkyries still want Phee?
The other side of the coin is whether the Valkyries' rumored interest will change at all given this result. Breanna Stewart absolutely dominated the Lynx across two games, and while Stewie is a singular talent, Collier was absolutely a weak spot defensively for Minnesota.
She was not much better on offense. Phee averaged just 13 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting, went 0-for-3 from distance, and largely did not have a star-level impact. The loss was certainly not entirely on her -- rookie Olivia Miles was dazzled by the bright lights of her first postseason -- but Collier couldn't stop it, either.
The Valkyries have built the league's best team (by net rating) on the backs of an elite defense, the best relative to league average in WNBA history. Kiah Stokes is a low-usage big but a titanic defensive presence. Would Golden State want to swap her out in the starting lineup for Collier, given what it could mean for their defense?
While Golden State will and probably should pause and consider, at the end of the day, they also should conclude that adding Collier is absolutely the right move. She has a long, proven track record of excellence on both ends of the court. She may have struggled coming back from serious injury midway through this season, to a roster that had significantly changed, and that continued into the postseason.
That does not mean that an offseason of rest cannot have her back at her usual form. Collier is not a defensive problem at her best; she won Defensive Player of the Year just two years ago. Assuming she can get healthy and in rhythm again is a reasonable bet to make.
Her impact on offense, then, would be exceptional. Slotting in Gabby Williams as the No. 2 option and Veronica Burton as the No. 3, setting up Collier in the paint and perimeter, would be a fantastic star trio. And all three have the defensive pedigree to maintain the level of two-way play that Golden State has ridden to the top of the league.
Should Napheesa Collier decide to leave Minnesota? That's a difficult question to answer. If she does, however, Golden State should absolutely recruit her. She could be the difference-maker they need to deliver that first championship to Balhalla.
Add us as a preferred source on Google