Is Napheesa Collier on a minutes restriction? Lynx star's status amid injury update

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Napheesa Collier is back.

After a 28-game absence dating to last season's playoffs, Collier will make her 2026 debut on Wednesday afternoon when the Minnesota Lynx visit the Seattle Storm in the final game for both teams before the WNBA All-Star break.

Collier is recovered at last from offseason ankle surgery that repaired a ligament injury she sustained in last season's WNBA semifinals loss to the Phoenix Mercury. The five-time All-Star did not play in Minnesota's first 27 games this season -- but the Lynx have learned to live without her.

Thanks to the glittering play of star rookie Olivia Miles, the Lynx (21-6) are guaranteed to enter the week-long All-Star break with the WNBA's best record, regardless of Wednesday's result against the Storm.

MORE: How the Chicago Sky gifted Olivia Miles to the Lynx and changed an era of WNBA basketball

While head coach Cheryl Reeve confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Collier was ready to go, the two-time MVP runner-up will be on a minutes restriction.

"This is not a full tilt," Reeve told reporters from Seattle. "We still have a couple more steps to go before we see the Phee we know her to be."

Reeve said Collier will be on a minutes restriction today and that expectations for what she looks like on the court should be “tempered.”

“This is not a full tilt… we still have a couple more steps to go before we see the Phee we know her to be.” https://t.co/lpUS6Ij14m

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) July 22, 2026

Though Reeve wants to "temper" expectations for Collier -- who hasn't played competitively in nine months -- the excitement around the superstar forward's return will be palpable.

At her best, Collier is one of the top three players in the WNBA. She finished just behind A'ja Wilson in MVP voting in 2024 and in 2025.

Last season, Collier averaged a career-best 22.9 points per game and joined Elena Delle Donne as the only players in league history to record a 50-40-90 season.

Collier is also a former Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-Defense selection. She is second among all active players in steals per game and fourth in defensive rating.