Forward Napheesa Collier was ruled out Saturday with a left ankle injury and will not play in Sunday’s Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury. The Minnesota Lynx trail 2-1 in the best-of-five series and now face elimination in Phoenix without their All-WNBA star.

Collier went down in the final seconds of Friday’s 84-76 loss after Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas stole the ball near midcourt. As Collier landed awkwardly, she immediately grabbed at her ankle, while Thomas scored a layup that stretched Phoenix’s lead beyond reach.

Her absence is a crushing setback for Minnesota, which relied on Collier’s production throughout the postseason. She averaged 20.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in five playoff games, picking up where she left off after an MVP runner-up campaign.

Reeve said after Game 3 that Collier “probably has a fracture,” but the team offered no timetable beyond ruling her out for Sunday’s contest.

The Lynx went 7-4 in games without Collier during the regular season, but losing her in an elimination matchup against a surging Phoenix team is a far steeper challenge. Minnesota must also make do without Reeve herself, who was suspended one game for her ejection and postgame comments Friday. Associate head coach Eric Thibault will step in on the sidelines.

The play that injured Collier has only intensified scrutiny on WNBA officiating. The National Basketball Referees Association posted video online defending the no-call, writing: “This is NOT a foul. Thomas legally gets to the ball and knocks the ball loose prior to any contact. The leg to leg contact is incidental once the ball is clearly loose.”

Without Collier, the Lynx will lean more heavily on veterans Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams to carry the scoring load, while their frontcourt depth must contend with Thomas, Kahleah Copper and Satou Sabally.

Tipoff for Game 4 is set for Sunday in Phoenix, where the Lynx’s season now hangs in the balance without both their coach and their star.