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Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier is listed as probable ahead of Wednesday's game against the Seattle Storm, putting her on track for her season debut in Minnesota's final contest before the upcoming All-Star break.
Collier had surgery on both ankles in the offseason, first on her right ankle on New Year's Day and then on her left in March. Ahead of her first surgery, Collier was initially ruled out for four to six months. She returned to team practice and activities on July 1.
A five-time All-Star, Collier was among the front-runners for league MVP last season before a right ankle injury in August forced her to miss three weeks. She has not played since tearing three ligaments in her left ankle in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals in September.
It was a devastating end to the year for Collier and the Lynx, who fell short of returning to the WNBA Finals when they were upset by the Phoenix Mercury.
Collier, a four-time All-WNBA selection, averaged 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game last season and became the second player in league history to shoot 50% from the floor, 40% from 3 and 90% from the free throw line in a season.
Her ankle issues were her first major injuries, though in 2022 she worked her way back from pregnancy and childbirth to share one final run with Lynx legend Sylvia Fowles before Fowles' retirement. Collier ultimately returned to the court 74 days after the birth of her first child.
Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve says she will encourage Collier to focus on the small wins as she makes her way back this time around. That won't be easy for a player who, in Reeve's words, "holds herself to a different standard."
"[She] doesn't want to take time to get back," Reeve told ESPN earlier this month. "It also makes her really good and a chance for her to be successful more immediately than later. She doesn't want that, she doesn't want a minute restriction, and she doesn't want for people to expect less than greatness from her.
"That's what makes great players great, no matter what the situation is."
The Lynx have surpassed expectations without Collier, currently sitting in first place in the standings at 21-6, largely thanks to the standout play of rookie Olivia Miles.
