Napheesa Collier cut right to the chase.
It was two days after the Lynx forward put up a double-double in her first game back from the longest rehab stint of her career, a 300-day stretch away from basketball that saw her undergo two ankle surgeries. Amidst WNBA All-Star festivities in Chicago, Collier was asked how she defines success in this unique year of her career.
She kept it short.
“Championship,” Collier said.
Every player in the WNBA is fighting for a title, but for Collier, it’s become personal. Minnesota’s championship loss in Game 5 of the 2024 Finals to the Liberty is still fresh. A promising season last year came to a halt after Collier’s ankle injury ultimately led to her team’s semifinals loss to the Mercury.
The Lynx now find themselves in a similar situation as last year—the regular-season leaders, holding a 25–7 record with 12 games remaining before the postseason. But Collier knows that it is going to take more, if the last two seasons are any indication.
“We’ve been here before,” Collier told Sports Illustrated at a Dick’s Sporting Goods panel during All-Star weekend. “I think with the experience, and we do have a lot of new people, but with our coaching staff and Courtney [Williams] and Mac [Kayla McBride] and myself, we’ve been here in this position for the past two seasons, making it pretty far, and so I think we know what it takes.”
It’s a hurdle that Collier has yet to overcome in her career. The Lynx have thus far surpassed preseason expectations, especially without Collier in the lineup. Now the forward is joining a roster that thrived in her stead, standing 2.5 games ahead of the reigning champ Aces.
“We’re not where we are without Liv,” Collier says. “She’s an extraordinary player, not just a rookie. Her court vision, like the talent that she has, is really generational, and so I have been really super excited to continue to play with her on the court.”
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