Napheesa Collier injury: Lynx star and WNBA MVP frontrunner limps off court after severe ankle roll vs. Aces

The Minnesota Lynx’s afternoon in Las Vegas was going perfectly until the closing seconds of the third quarter, when MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier limped off the court with an apparent ankle injury. Though the Lynx still cruised to a 111-58 win over the Aces — the largest road victory in WNBA history and second-largest overall — the result means little after Collier’s injury. 

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said postgame that it was too early to provide an update on Collier’s status. The Lynx will conclude their two-game West Coast road trip on Tuesday against the Seattle Storm, and Reeve was unsure if Collier would continue on with the team or return to Minnesota. 

“It’s just way too early. At this point in time I don’t know exactly what’s happening,” Reeve said. 

As time wound down in the third quarter, the Lynx were out on a fastbreak looking to extend their 43-point lead. Natisha Hiedeman went up for a layup that did not go down, and Collier stepped on Alanna Smith’s foot while trailing the play. Collier’s ankle rolled severely and she immediately collapsed to the ground. 

The Lynx called a timeout to stop the game, and Collier tried to stand up with the assistance of Jessica Shepard and Aces star A’ja Wilson. However, the pain was too much and Collier sat back down once the Lynx’s athletic trainer arrived on the scene. Eventually, Collier was able to get to her feet and hobble off the court with the help of the trainer. She immediately went to the locker room and did not return. 

It’s too early to say how long Collier may be sidelined, but the early signs were not good. There will be plenty of questions about why she was still in the game considering the time and score, but there’s nothing the Lynx can do about that now. They’ll have to hope that the injury looked worse than it actually was. 

“I don’t think about those things,” Reeve said when asked if she regretted leaving Collier in the game. “It’s the third quarter of a game on someone else’s floor, I don’t think the game is over. I don’t think like that. She had a sub there and she wasn’t gonna play in the fourth quarter. Sometimes these things happen. I get it, people are gonna rail on me, and that’s part of sitting in the seat that I’m sitting in. But we did what we think is right, and sometimes these things happen. It’s unfortunate and hopefully she’ll be OK.” 

After Saturday’s win, the Lynx improved to 24-5 and extended their lead over the New York Liberty in the race for the No. 1 overall seed to six games. With just 15 games remaining in the regular season, the Lynx should have more than enough of a cushion to earn homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs even if Collier faces a long spell on the sidelines. 

On the flip side, the fact that there’s only six weeks remaining in the regular season means there’s less time for Collier to not only recover, but return to action and regain a rhythm before the playoffs start should she miss extended time. The Lynx hope to compete for a title after losing to the Liberty in the Finals last season in heartbreaking fashion. To do so, they’ll need Collier at full strength. 

Zooming out, Collier’s injury throws a potential wrench in multiple award races. Most notably, Collier entered Saturday averaging 23.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.7 blocks on 53.7% shooting and was the clear favorite to win MVP. She was also a leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, an honor she won last season. Should Collier be sidelined for an extended period, there’s just enough time left in the season for other players to make their case.