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- May 16, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) celebrates with Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) against the Dallas Wings during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Napheesa Collier Sidelined: The 2025 Season on the Edge for the Minnesota Lynx

Originally posted on Total Apex Sports | By David Desa | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 12:31 PM ET

The air in the Minnesota Lynx locker room must be thick with a tension you could cut with a knife. For the Lynx and Napheesa Collier, it’s the kind of silence that follows a gut punch, the quiet hum of a season teetering on the edge of a cliff. On Sunday, with their backs pressed firmly against the wall, the Lynx will walk into a hostile arena in Phoenix, facing elimination, and they’ll do it without two of their most crucial figures: their fiery, four-time championship-winning coach and their undisputed superstar, Napheesa Collier.

The dagger came in the final, frantic minute of Friday’s Game 3 loss to the Mercury. Napheesa Collier, the player who has been the heart and soul of this team, the one they looked to in every critical moment, crumpled to the hardwood. A collision with Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, as Thomas swiped the ball away, sent a shockwave of dread through every Lynx fan. The immediate aftermath was chaos. The play, which sealed the Lynx’s fate in the game, was a lightning rod for controversy.

The Flashpoint: A Coach’s Fury and a Star’s Fall

For Head Coach Cheryl Reeve, it was more than just a turnover. It was a blatant foul, a missed call that cost her team a chance and, worse, cost her its best player. In a flash of raw, unfiltered fury, Reeve stormed the court, her voice cutting through the roar of the crowd as she confronted the official. The scene was electric, a coach willing to put everything on the line for her player. It earned her an ejection, a walk of defiance back to the locker room that would have steep consequences.

Reeve’s outrage didn’t cool after the final buzzer. In a now-infamous press conference, she didn’t mince words, labeling the officiating “f—ing malpractice.” It was a declaration born of frustration and a fierce protectiveness over her team. The WNBA responded swiftly, suspending her for the do-or-die Game 4.

Now, the Lynx are left to pick up the pieces from that explosive sequence. Not only did they lose the game, but the official word confirmed their worst fears: Napheesa Collier is out. The ankle injury sustained in that collision has sidelined the forward, leaving a gaping hole in Minnesota’s lineup and its spirit.

Facing the Abyss Without Their Leaders

Let’s be clear about what this means. The Lynx, once considered favorites to hoist the WNBA championship trophy, are now staring into the abyss. They are down 2-1 in a best-of-five series. They are on the road, facing a Mercury team that smells blood in the water and has the full-throated support of its home crowd. And they will do it all without the tactical genius of Reeve on the sidelines and the on-court brilliance of Napheesa Collier.

Collier isn’t just a player you replace. She’s the engine, the emotional compass, the one who makes the impossible play when the lights are brightest. Her absence changes the entire dynamic of the series. The weight of the season now falls on the shoulders of the remaining players, who must find a way to rally, to summon a performance for the ages against a mountain of adversity.

The odds are stacked impossibly high. The narrative has flipped completely. The Mercury need just one more victory to punch their ticket to the WNBA Finals. For the Lynx, it’s a simple, brutal equation: win, or go home. It’s a moment that will define their season, a test of character and resolve that goes far beyond any box score. Can they channel their coach’s fire and play for their fallen star? Or will this series be remembered for one chaotic minute that brought a championship dream crashing down to earth? Sunday will tell the tale.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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