Report reveals extent of Lynx star Napheesa Collier's ugly injury

Minnesota Lynx star forward Napheesa Collier's injury in the WNBA semifinals has been determined to be a Grade 2 tear of three ligaments in her left ankle as well as a muscle in her shin, ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon.

Collier injured her left ankle in the final seconds of Game 3 on Friday when no foul was called on the Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas, who stripped the ball from her and made a steal.

Mercury eliminated the Napheesa Collier-less Lynx

The Mercury won the game 84-76 and then eliminated the short-handed Lynx — who were without Collier and head coach Cheryl Reeve (suspended by the league for her conduct and comments about officiating regarding the play Collier got injured on) — in Game 4 on Sunday in Phoenix to advance to the WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces.

Collier had said Tuesday that she would not have been able to play if the top-seeded Lynx, who had the league's best record in the regular season, had gotten past the Mercury.

Napheesa Collier's status for Unrivaled is in question

The injury, which requires a minimum of six weeks of recovery, per ESPN's report, might not impact her availability next WNBA season. However, her involvement as a player for the Lunar Owls of the Unrivaled League, which returns in January, could be affected.

Collier co-founded the professional 3×3 basketball league for women that began play in January 2025 with New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart.

A face of the WNBA and runner-up for league Most Valuable Player for the second season in a row, Collier on Tuesday also criticized the league office for what she perceives as a "lack of accountability."

Napheesa Collier had strong words for the WNBA 

"I want to be clear this conversation is not about winning or losing," Collier began, referencing a written statement in front of her at her season-ending news conference. "It's about something much bigger. The real threat to our league isn't money, it isn't ratings or even missed calls or even physical play. It's the lack of accountability from the league office."

Collier said in reading from a prepared statement lasting more than four minutes that "We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But right now we have the worst leadership in the world.

"Since I've been in the league, you've heard the constant concerns about officiating and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity of which it operates," Collier said, who turned 29 on Sept. 23.

"Whether the league cares about the health of our players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage. Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders."

She also revealed that Engelbert made an odd and out-of-touch comment about Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

The league office released a response from commissioner Cathy Engelbert later Tuesday afternoon.

"I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA," Engelbert said. "Together we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game. I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver."

Collier has averaged 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 blocks in 193 regular-season games (all starts) in her career. She is a five-time All-Star in seven seasons, all with Minnesota. She was the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2019 and first-team All-WNBA in 2023 and 2024.