Minnesota Lynx Receive Unfortunate Napheesa Collier News

Napheesa Collier was in the midst of her best WNBA season of her career -- until Saturday. With the Minnesota Lynx holding a massive lead over the Las Vegas Aces, Collier was forced to leave the game in the third quarter after injuring her right ankle. The All-Star forward was coasting toward the first MVP award of her seven-year-career prior to the injury.

Minnesota Lynx Receive Unfortunate Napheesa Collier News originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Napheesa Collier was in the midst of her best WNBA season of her career -- until Saturday. With the Minnesota Lynx holding a massive lead over the Las Vegas Aces, Collier was forced to leave the game in the third quarter after injuring her right ankle.

The All-Star forward was coasting toward the first MVP award of her seven-year-career prior to the injury. Her Lynx currently hold a massive lead as the No. 1 seed in the WNBA standings with a record of 24-5. The New York Liberty (18-10) are a distant 5.5 games back, holding onto the No. 2 spot in the standings.

With 15 games remaining in the Lynx's regular-season schedule, the severity of Collier's injury will be crucial for their championship chances. On Monday, the Lynx received unfortunate news regarding their star player.

As per ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Collier will remain out for at least two weeks with a sprained right ankle.

Collier was looking to add a new trophy to her trophy case this season. She won the Rookie of the Year award in 2019, and is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. At 28 years old, Collier was having the best statistical season of her decorated career.

She leads the league in points per game (23.5) and field goals made per game (8.6). In 26 games played this season she's also averaging 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game.

Aug 2, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Players from the Las Vegas Aces and Minnesota Lynx surround Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) after she does down with an injury in the third quarter of their game at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images

As per FanDuel Sportsbook, despite her injury, she remains the favorite to win the MVP award (plus-185). The second favorite remains, also injured All-Star, Breanna Stewart (plus-360). The third favorite is Stewart's Liberty teammate, Sabrina Ionescu (plus-700).

While there isn't an exact timeline for Collier's return, if she's able to return after two weeks, she'll be back in time to face the defending champion, Liberty on August 19. She would then be available for 11 remaining regular season games and would have only missed four full games.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.

Category: Basketball