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04/16/26 11:11:00
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04/16 23:10 CDT Lynx re-sign 5-time All-Star forward Napheesa Collier
Lynx re-sign 5-time All-Star forward Napheesa Collier
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) --- The Minnesota Lynx re-signed five-time All-Star forward
Napheesa Collier, who's coming off one of the most productive seasons in WNBA
history.
The team announced Thursday night it was bringing back Collier, but didn't
disclose terms of the deal.
ESPN reported, citing sources, that the Lynx signed Collier to a one-year, $1.4
million supermax contract. The deal came a day after the WNBA defending
champion Las Vegas Aces re-signed four-time MVP A'ja Wilson. ESPN reported that
contract was a three-year, $5 million supermax deal, the most lucrative in
league history.
The 29-year-old 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 or more points per game. She finished second
to Wilson in league MVP voting the last two years.
"Phee has been such an integral part of the Lynx since she was drafted in
2019," head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said in a
statement released by the team. "Coming off a historic 50/40/90 season and
guiding the Lynx to the most wins in franchise history, Phee is hungry to
position the Lynx for a championship run in 2026."
Minnesota went 34--10 in the regular season and was the No. 1 overall seed in
the WNBA playoffs. But Collier injured her left ankle in Game 3 of the WNBA
semifinals against Phoenix, ending her season. The Lynx lost the series to the
Mercury in five games.
Collier, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time All-WNBA and
All-Defensive Team selection, was the sixth overall draft pick by the Lynx in
2019 out of UConn and won the league's Rookie of the Year award. She has career
averages of 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks
per game in seven seasons. Collier ranks second in franchise history in career
steals (325) and scoring average (18.4), behind Maya Moore, and second in
blocked shots (239) behind Sylvia Fowles.
Last season, Collier set the franchise record with 54 consecutive made free
throws and was selected the WNBA All-Star Game MVP after setting the scoring
mark with 36 points.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
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