Napheesa Collier set to return to the Lynx lineup against the Fever
Napheesa Collier, a key player for the Minnesota Lynx and a top candidate for the WNBA MVP award, will make her return to the court on Sunday after recovering from an ankle injury.
Minnesota Lynx star and WNBA MVP favorite Napheesa Collier will return to action on Sunday when her team takes on the Indiana Fever. Collier, who will immediately rejoin the starting lineup, had been out since Aug. 2 due to a sprained ankle.
Collier’s injury, which occurred during the Lynx’s historic 53-point win over the Las Vegas Aces, stirred controversy because it happened late in the third quarter with her team up by 43 points. Many wondered why Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve still had her superstar in the game.
“I don’t think about those things,” Reeve said. “It’s the third quarter of a game on someone else’s floor, I don’t think the game is over. I don’t think like that. She had a sub there and she wasn’t gonna play in the fourth quarter. Sometimes these things happen. I get it, people are gonna rail on me, and that’s part of sitting in the seat that I’m sitting in. But we did what we think is right, and sometimes these things happen. It’s unfortunate and hopefully she’ll be OK.”
Luckily for the Lynx, Collier avoided a major injury, and because of a schedule quirk they had a full six days off while she was sidelined. Collier has been on the mend for nearly three weeks but only missed seven games during that time.
The Lynx went 5-2 during this stretch without Collier, and despite suffering back-to-back losses this week for the first time all season, they remain 5½ games up on the Atlanta Dream in the race for the No. 1 seed.
On an individual level, Collier’s return is a major storyline in the MVP race. She was cruising to her first MVP before going down, and in the meantime A’ja Wilson has gained significant ground. Wilson has led the Aces on a 10-game winning streak with a series of 30-point games, and has her team within striking distance of the No. 2 seed. Still, Collier is the betting favorite at -220 per FanDuel Sportsbook, with Wilson at +150. Collier is averaging a league-leading 23.5 points to go along with 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks on 54/37/91 shooting splits. If she picks up where she left off before her ankle sprain, she could still win the award, but it is no longer a foregone conclusion.
