Lynx announce Napheesa Collier's return to practice in another step forward to her season debut

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier has returned to practice with the team, moving closer to making her 2026 debut following offseason surgery on both ankles.

The Lynx announced Wednesday that Collier was continuing to progress as expected in her rehabilitation process from the procedure she had done on March 24. Minnesota plays next at New York on Friday.

The five-time All-Star signed a one-year, supermax contract that will allow her to be an unrestricted free agent entering 2027. Collier averaged a career-high 22.9 points per game last season while shooting 53.1% from the floor, 40.3% from 3-point range and 90.6% from the foul line, becoming the first player in WNBA history to post 50/40/90 shooting splits while averaging 20-plus points per game.

The sixth overall pick by the Lynx in the 2019 draft, Collier finished second to A’ja Wilson in the league MVP voting in each of the last two years. She won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024.

Collier injured her left ankle in Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA semifinals against Phoenix, prematurely ending her season. The No. 1 seed Lynx lost the series to the Mercury in five games.

Behind rookie Olivia Miles, the second overall pick in the draft, the Lynx are off to a league-leading 15-4 start.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball