The Brief
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Napheesa Collier is having surgery on both of her ankles that will put her out four to six months.
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The timeline means she won’t play in Season 2 of Unrivaled, and it puts the start of her Lynx season in jeopardy.
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Collier suffered an injury during the WNBA Semifinals in a loss to the Phoenix Mercury.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Napheesa Collier is having surgery that will not only force her to miss the second season of Unrivaled, but it also puts her WNBA season with the Minnesota Lynx in doubt.
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Napheesa Collier surgery on ankles
What we know
Collier announced Thursday on Instagram she’s having surgery on both of her ankles, and will be out four to six months. Collier helped create the 3-on-3 league “Unrivaled” to keep WNBA players from having to go overseas to get paid in stay in shape in the WNBA offseason.
The Lynx typically start the WNBA season in May, which is five months away. It would be a tall ask to have Collier ready for the start of the Lynx season.
“I am heartbroken to share that I will miss this Unrivaled season. I have fought hard over the last few months to be back with my Owls and was devastated to be told by my team of doctors that surgery was the best path forward,” Collier said. I will still be cheering on my teammates every step of the way, and I will continue to work relentlessly with the rest of the players and out staff to push our sport forward and raise the bar for women’s basketball. I will be back at full strength as soon as possible and ready to continue where I left off.”
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WNBA season in jeopardy?
Why you should care
The WNBA season is about five months away, and there is no labor agreement in place between the players and Commissioner Cathy Englebert.
After the 2025 season concluded, Collier used her end-of-season news conference with the Lynx to call out the WNBA both for player salaries, and inconsistent officiating.
“We have the best players in the world, the best fans in the world but right now, we have the worse leadership in the world,” Collier said.
