Lynx announce Napheesa Collier will miss start of season, resume 'on‑court activities' in June

Lynx star Napheesa Collier won't return to on-court activities until June, according to an update provided by the team on Tuesday.

The updated timeline means Collier — as expected — will miss the start of the Lynx's season, which is set to tip off May 10 against the Atlanta Dream.

"Collier underwent successful surgery on her left ankle on March 24," the Lynx stated in an update on the team's website. "Her rehabilitation is progressing as expected, and the current timeline for a return to on-court activities is early June. Further updates on Collier’s progress will be provided when available."

All things considered, this isn't the worst update. It was no secret that Collier was going to miss a good amount of time to begin the season. If she can return to games by mid-to-late June, she'll still be able to play in well over half of Minnesota's 44 regular season contests.

The five-time All Star was injured late in the Lynx's Game 3 loss to the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals of last season's WNBA Playoffs. The injury happened when Collier banged knees with Mercury star Alyssa Thomas at the end of a physical game. The play didn't warrant a foul call, which drew the ire of head coach Cheryl Reeve, who had to be restrained from the referees after the play.

Collier missed Game 4 of the series, which saw Minnesota get eliminated from the playoffs. She ended the 2025 season with a press conference in which she blasted the leadership of the WNBA.

Earlier this month, Collier and the Lynx agreed to a one-year "supermax" contract, which will pay her $1.4 million for the 2026 season. She explained that her decision to sign only a one-year deal was based on her focusing on recovering from her injury and "winning a championship" this year.

For the Lynx, the loss of Collier early in the season will surely be felt. Collier led the team in points (22.9) and rebounds (7.3), while averaging the second-most steals (1.6) and third-most assists (3.2) per game last season. She has finished runner-up in the MVP voting each of the past two seasons. Collier was named the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Minnesota's season will begin on May 10, and they will play eight of their 44 games in the month of May.