Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier made her return to the court for the first time in over three weeks, making a positive impact in the team’s 87-74 victory over the shorthanded Indiana Fever.
The last time Collier played was on August 2, when the Minnesota Lynx won by 52 points on the road over the Las Vegas Aces, who went on to win ten straight games since then. That game, she suffered a right ankle sprain missed seven games. In her absence, the Lynx finished with a 5-2 record.
Napheesa Collier Hasn’t Missed a Beat in Minnesota Lynx Return
Throughout the game, Collier played 31 minutes of action and had a dominant performance with 32 points (11-for-18), nine rebounds, and two steals while shooting 68.8 percent from the field. Additionally, she had an impressive plus/minus with 24 and made two three-pointers for Minnesota, and she hadn’t missed a beat.
The Minnesota Lynx became the first team to reach 30 wins throughout the regular season and matched last year’s win total after maintaining their spot as the top seed. With seven games remaining, the team continues to prepare for a long playoff run and return to the WNBA Finals.
βIt definitely felt good,” Collier said postgame. “I feel like I had to knock a little bit of the rust off. Courtney (Williams) could have had 11 assists. More than anything, it felt good to be back with the teamβ¦ I’m having such FOMO, it feels so good to be on the court with them again.β
As the MVP discussion heats up among Collier, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson, and Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray, it will be interesting to see how the race unfolds throughout the next few weeks leading up to the playoffs.
the Queen returned and dropped 32 PTS and 9 REB. π pic.twitter.com/vT91guYnpT
β Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 25, 2025
Cheryl Reeve pleased to see Collier’s return
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve and the team were happy to see Collier on the court, as the Lynx looked dominant on both ends of the court. Collier is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and looks to add the MVP to her resume throughout her professional career.
βSure, you can always imagine more, sheβs that darn good,” Reeve said. “Happy to have her back and obviously she was ready to play, and having her play obviously kind of makes it easier for everybody else to settle back into our roles and things we’d like to do. So it was nice having her back.β
In 26 minutes, Lynx guard Courtney Williams finished the game with a double-double of 14 points and 10 assists.Β She also broke Minnesota’s record for the most assists in a single season, surpassing her previous record of 221 in 2024.
βAh man, itβs relief (to have Napheesa Collier return to the lineup),” Williams said after having a bounce-back game for the Lynx. “I told her before the game Iβm sick of taking 18-20 shots, Iβm ready to get back to 10-12, you see tonight, Iβm good at 11. So it feels good to have Phee (Napheesa Collier) back for sure.β
The Lynx were seen wearing shirts featuring the SLAM cover with StudBudz stars Courtney Williams and her teammate, guard Natisha Hiedeman.
When the Lynx’s public announcer said Collier’s name in the starting lineup, fans cheered loudly as they were elated to see her come back just in time for the postseason. Minnesota leads the league in several key categories, including team points per game (86.7), field goal percentage (47.2), and assists per game (23.4), showcasing their dominant offense.
βIt just felt really good,” Collier said. “Our fans do such a great job of just supporting us through everything. The way they back us at the games and online, showing support for everything, whether itβs StudBudz or anything else. Itβs great to have such a warm reaction, it felt really good.β
Courtney Williams Believes a Fully Healthy Lynx Squad is a “Problem”
Collier spoke highly about the addition of DiJonai Carrington, who won the Most Improved Player of the Year award and was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First team last season when she was with the Connecticut Sun.
Since being traded from the Dallas Wings before the trade deadline, Carrington fits perfectly into Reeve’s coaching system and has made a difference on both ends for the Minnesota Lynx.
“It’s awesome,” Collier said of Carrington. “I know there’s three people I haven’t played with being out for so long, but (DiJonai Carrington) is fitting to the team perfectly. Her work ethic, the way that she plays is so aggressive, getting to the basket, rebounding, all those things. (The team’s style of play) is so Lynx. She fits in perfectly, and she’s a really easy player to play with as well. So I’m glad that we got our first run tonight.”
When asked about the message Williams has for fans after Collier’s return from injury, the Minnesota Lynx is now fully healthy and the only team to have clinched a playoff berth.
“I mean, we’re a problem, that’s what I said,” Williams said. “We’ve been a problem. Now we really are the problem.”
The Minnesota Lynx will face the Seattle Storm at home on Thursday, August 28.
