The Minnesota Lynx on Monday said star forward Napheesa Collier has a right ankle sprain and “will be re-evaluated in the coming weeks.”
The WNBA Most Valuable Player frontrunner will miss at least two weeks, ESPN reported.
In a win over the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday, Collier was trailing a Minnesota fast break when her feet got tangled with teammate Alanna Smith, who had been bumped by Aces guard Jewell Loyd in a battle for positioning under the basket.
Collier rose, only to fall back down to the court, favoring her ankle. She was helped off the floor by a member of the team’s medical staff, then walked under her own power into the Lynx locker room.
Collier, 28, was the 2019 Rookie of the Year, 2024 Commissioner’s Cup MVP and Defensive Player of the Year and the 2025 All-Star Game MVP, when she poured in 36 points on 13-of-16 shooting in less than 19 minutes.
Now she’s leading the WNBA at 23.5 points per game to go with 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game through 26 starts. The Lynx (24-5) have a 5 1/2-game lead in the league standings.
A minimum of two weeks away would mean Collier may miss a trio of games against the New York Liberty on Aug. 10, 16 and 19. The Liberty defeated the Lynx in the WNBA Finals last year.
Collier’s ankle sprain is the latest in an injury-marred season for the league’s superstars, as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart have missed time. All except Wilson are currently sidelined.
–Field Level Media
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