The WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx entered the All-Star break with a league best 22-6 record. They are currently on a nine-game winning streak after a 104-72 pasting of the Toronto Tempo on Thursday night. They have been paced by the quartet of sharpshooters Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride, the ageless Natasha Howard and the rookie and perhaps player of the year, Olivia Miles.
And oh, they have the best coach in WNBA history leading them, the legendary Cheryl Reeves. That lineup alone might be enough to snare the league championship. But what makes opponents really quake in their shoes is that one of the league’s best just came back from a serious injury to help the Lynx win the title. That of course would be the fabulous Napheesa “Phee” Collier.
Lynx Fly High in Season’s First Half
Everyone involved with the Lynx wondered how the team would fare without their All-Star forward Phee in the lineup. Collier underwent surgery on both ankles at the first of the year and was projected to miss four-six months. They would also be playing without sharpshooter Bridget Carlson who was selected 1st overall in the 2026 WNBA expansion draft by the Portland Fire.
Reeves hoped that returning stalwarts Williams and McBride could pick up a significant portion of the slack. She was also counting on newly acquired veterans Natasha Howard and Nia Coffey to add some experience and toughness to the lineup. And they were hoping to get a spark from the second overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, point guard Olivia Miles.
After an uneven 2-2 start to the season, they rattled off eight straight wins not catching their breath until a 100-97 loss to Las Vegas on June 13. And though the Lynx have few players ranked in the top 5 in individual statistical categories, they rank second in team per game categories such as points scored (91.8), rebounds (35.3), and steals (9.0). They also rank second overall in field goal percentage (48.1). and three-point percentage (38.6).
On defense, which is Reeves’ bread and butter, they rank second in defensive rating (102.4), Scoring wise, they are led by Miles with 19.4 points per game followed by McBride at 18.0 and Howard at 15.6, And Williams is scoring at a 14.9 clip per game giving their balanced offense four players who are averaging in double figures in points scored.
Howard leads the Lynx in rebounds per game with 7.9 and Miles is the assist leader with 5.8 a contest. Not to be forgotten is their spark plug Coffey averaging 7.3 points and 5 rebounds per game.
The Mighty Phee
Here is a quick reminder how impactful the returning Collier has been in her WNBA career. She has been named to the AL-NBA First Team each of the past three seasons and was the league MVP runner-up in 2024 and 2025. Collier also won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024.
Stat-wise, she has been dominant averaging 21.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game over the last three seasons. And since her return, she has averaged 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals while playing an average of only 23 minutes per game.
Phee led the Lynx, to first place in the WNBA standings the past two seasons with the team going 64-20 in that span. Minnesota was runner-up to the WNBA champion New York Liberty in 2024 and lost in the league semifinals to the Phoenix Mercury in 2025. She has also been a member of the past two Team USA Olympic women’s basketball gold medal winning teams.
The Lynx Road Ahead
Rumors of a possible trade of Collier, who is on an expiring contract are just that. Rumors. Phee is not going anywhere in the near-term. With all of their stars in tow, Reeves at the helm, and a league best 24 wins, the Lynx are on a quest to take home their fifth WNBA title.
