Napheesa Collier's season debut is 'above anything' the Lynx had expected

Cassidy Hettesheimer, Star Tribune on Jul 22, 2026

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The hardest three minutes of basketball that Napheesa Collier will play this season are hopefully behind her.

They were her first.

“I needed that sub,” the Lynx star said.

She headed to the bench early and full of adrenaline Wednesday in the Lynx’s 86-76 win on the road against the Seattle Storm. “[It’s] just like a year of pent-up excitement, so I think there’s a little bit of settling in.”

Collier would shake off any rust quickly. She dropped a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double in 22 minutes after nearly 300 days without game action, having recovered from surgery on both ankles this offseason.

“I felt like a kid in a candy store,” Collier said on a postgame call with reporters.

The long-awaited return of Collier — nicknamed “Queen of FOMO,” or fear of missing out, by coach Cheryl Reeve — helped the Lynx (22-6) head into this weekend’s All-Star break on a seven-game win streak.

The Lynx have 16 more regular-season games to settle in and see what new heights a team already leading the league can reach with the perennial MVP candidate’s return.

Reeve had looked to temper expectations pregame, noting the Lynx would be mindful of Collier’s minutes as she tried to find her rhythm.

“We just wanted to play like we’ve been playing, and Phee will find her way in and fit in, and that’s exactly what she did,” Reeve said postgame. “It was probably, I think, above anything I could have expected.

Added Reeve: “Interesting that No. 24 scores 24 on her return, so I like that a lot.”

Kayla McBride’s 20-point outing extended her eight-game streak of hitting that number, chasing the Lynx franchise record of 11 set by Maya Moore in 2015.

“As long as I’ve been a Lynx, I’ve played with Phee,” said McBride, now in her sixth season as Collier’s teammate. “I’ve watched her grow, and I’ve watched her become a mom. We’ve gone through so many things together. ... I’m just happy to see her out here.”

Collier returned to full team practice on July 1. With ankle braces tucked into her new player-exclusive line of Jordan Brand sneakers, Collier slotted into the starting lineup in place of Nia Coffey on Wednesday.

While McBride got the Lynx going, Collier started 1 for 7 from the field. But she was 4 for 5 to close out the half, showcasing her three-level scoring.

“My teammates always have my back,” Collier said. “They’re encouraging me throughout this whole process, today included.”

But the Lynx, with an eye turned to their defense of late, still trailed 45-44 at halftime. They stiffened up in the second half, holding the Storm (6-23) to 32.4% shooting and forcing seven of Seattle’s 18 turnovers in the third quarter.

That, and key minutes off the bench for Maya Caldwell, helped keep Minnesota ahead even as Seattle’s Dominique Malonga finished with 21 points and the Lynx’s starting backcourt shot a combined 25%.

“For us, it’s been a while” since they got opponent’s effective field-goal percentage down, Reeve said. “I’m happy to go into the break knowing that [defense] still matters to them.”

Five late points from Flau’jae Johnson cut the Lynx lead to one with less than two minutes to play, but Collier sank three free throws and added another bucket to see out the win.

“I liked that we had to be in hard moments, and [Collier] had to make plays at tough times,” Reeve said. “That all bodes well in our sort of evolution and having her back and building this thing.”

The goal-oriented Collier said most of the expectations she had for herself going into Wednesday’s game were based on defense, with rebounds and deflections.

Her time sidelined was the longest Collier had spent away from the WNBA court with an injury. She missed all but four games in 2022 after giving birth to her daughter.

Collier and Reeve noted that this still isn’t the Lynx’s final form. But that excites Collier.

“I see the behind the scenes, every day, building that chemistry, the buy-in, integrating all these new people, working with the best rookie [Olivia Miles], arguably an MVP candidate right now,” Collier said.

“For us to be in the No. 1 spot, I think time and time again, it’s an old story,” she added. “Minnesota’s always counted out, but you can never count us out.”