The Minnesota Lynx suffered a great loss this week when they were swept by the New York Liberty in the first round of the WNBA playoffs. But, an arguably greater loss could occur this offseason as star Napheesa Collier is set to become a free agent. Collier signed a one-year, supermax contract to remain in Minnesota for the 2026 season, the only place she's ever called home while in the league.
The question now remains whether the 30-year-old will stay in Minnesota, or if she'll land with a new team for the first time in her career. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was asked about the possibility of Collier leaving the team during her exit interview on Thursday, and it sounds like the Coach of the Year will be supportive regardless of her player's decision. "She just finished year eight, 30 years old.
Sometimes you stay and sometimes you go because maybe there's something, I don't want to say better, but maybe better for her, and that's something that I respect," Reeve said, via Geoff Magliocchetti. "We're honest with each other, and she signed a one-year for a reason, right? Whatever she decides, we're both going to be O.K., and that's something that I feel strongly about." Collier understandably hasn't made a decision about her future yet.
Her season did just end, unexpectedly at that, on Tuesday. This is what she had to say about her time with the Lynx: "Honestly, I haven't even thought about [my future]," Collier said, via ESPN. "We lost less than 48 hours ago and we didn't expect to be here, so I really haven't had any time to decompress or anything like that.
I can tell you I love it here. I love my team and everything like that, but I just haven't had the time to give that any thought." It definitely wasn't Collier's strongest year in the league. After finishing second for MVP votes behind A'ja Wilson last season, Collier missed the start of the 2026 campaign after she underwent surgeries on both ankles in the offseason.
She didn't make her season debut until July 22. Collier played in 16 games, averaging 16.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, which are all statistically lower than the forward is used to averaging. It might be a good option for Collier to reignite her spark in a new city, especially now that the Lynx are in good hands with the Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles helping lead the charge.
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