Napheesa Collier re-signed with the Minnesota Lynx after becoming the first player in WNBA history to post 50/40/90 splits while averaging 20-plus points.
Napheesa Collier is returning to the Minnesota Lynx on a one-year, $1.4 million supermax contract, per ESPN, giving the franchise its cornerstone back for an eighth season. The team confirmed the signing on Thursday but did not disclose terms.
The deal came one day after the Las Vegas Aces locked up four-time MVP A'ja Wilson on a three-year, $5 million supermax — the largest contract in league history. The consecutive signings reflect a new financial reality in the WNBA under the league's new collective bargaining agreement.
Collier, 29, is coming off one of the most statistically accomplished seasons in league history. She averaged a career-high 22.9 points per game while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, 40.3 percent from three, and 90.6 percent from the free-throw line, becoming the first player in WNBA history to post 50/40/90 splits while averaging 20 or more points. She finished second to Wilson in MVP voting for the second straight year.
"Phee has been such an integral part of the Lynx since she was drafted in 2019," Minnesota head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said. "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, the best record in franchise history, and entered the playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed. The season ended in the semifinals, however, when Collier suffered a Grade 2 tear of three ankle ligaments and a shin muscle injury during a collision with Alyssa Thomas in Game 3 against Phoenix. The Lynx lost the series in five games.
Collier underwent surgery on both ankles in January, which also cost her the second season of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league she co-founded with Breanna Stewart.
"I am heartbroken to share that I will miss this Unrivaled season," Collier wrote on Instagram. "I have fought hard over the last few months to be back with my Lunar Owls and was devastated to be told by my team of doctors that surgery was the best path forward."
Her status for the start of the 2026 season is unclear. ESPN reported an initial recovery timeline of four to six months, which would put a return somewhere between next month and July. Collier was invited to Team USA's training camp in Phoenix earlier this month but did not participate and was seen wearing a boot on her ankle during Final Four weekend.
Collier was selected sixth overall by Minnesota in the 2019 draft out of UConn and won Rookie of the Year that season. Over seven years with the Lynx, she has averaged 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. She ranks second in franchise history in scoring average and steals behind Maya Moore and second in blocks behind Sylvia Fowles. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, four-time All-WNBA selection, and four-time All-Defensive Team honoree.
Last season, she also set a franchise record with 54 consecutive made free throws and was named MVP of the WNBA All-Star Game after a 36-point performance that set the event's scoring record.
Minnesota opens the 2026 season on May 8.