Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Napheesa Collier

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Napheesa Collier made an impact.

Napheesa "Phee" Collier is a professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA. She played college basketball for the University of Connecticut Huskies before being drafted 6th overall in 2019. Collier has achieved significant success, including winning two Olympic gold medals with the United States women's national basketball team in the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 games. Beyond her athletic accomplishments, she is a founder of the Unrivaled basketball league, along with Breanna Stewart, and also serves as a vice president on the Women's National Basketball Players Association executive committee.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2000: Member of the 2000/1000 club

At the end of her UConn career, Napheesa Collier became the fifth player in the exclusive 2000/1000 club, joining UConn greats Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Breanna Stewart and Rebecca Lobo.

2009: Breaking Tamika Catchings' Record

By the end of the 2024 WNBA finals, Napheesa Collier broke Tamika Catchings' 2009 record for the most steals and blocks in postseason play, totaling 48.

2013: Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year

In 2013, Napheesa Collier was named the Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year, recognizing her outstanding performance during her sophomore year at Incarnate Word Academy.

2015: Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year Again

In 2015, Napheesa Collier was once again named the Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Naismith Award as national Player of the Year, solidifying her reputation as a top high school basketball player.

2016: National Champion

In 2016, Napheesa Collier was a member of the Connecticut Huskies National Champion team, contributing to their success in the NCAA tournament.

2017: Best Start Since 2017

In 2025, Collier opened the season averaging 29.5 points helping Minnesota to its best start since 2017.

2019: WNBA Achievements

In 2019, Napheesa Collier became the second rookie in WNBA history to record 400 points, 200 rebounds, and 60 steals. Collier was also voted to the 2019 WNBA All-Rookie Team and made an All-Star as an injury replacement for A'ja Wilson.

2019: Drafted into WNBA

In 2019, Napheesa Collier was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx with the 6th overall pick in the WNBA draft, marking a significant milestone in her career.

2020: Started Podcast and All-WNBA Selection

During the 2020 season, Napheesa Collier started a podcast with A'ja Wilson, "Tea with A & Phee". Also in 2020, she was selected for the All-WNBA Second Team and the All-Defensive Second Team for the first time, marking significant achievements in her career.

2020: Won Olympic Gold Medal

In 2020, Napheesa Collier and Team USA won the gold medal in the tournament, defeating Japan 90–75 in the final, securing her first Olympic gold medal.

June 2021: Named to Olympic Team

In June 2021, Napheesa Collier was named to the United States women's Olympic basketball team to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics, marking her first selection to an Olympic roster.

2021: Won Coupe De France Finale

In 2021, Napheesa Collier played for Lattes-Montpellier in France, where she was part of the team that won the Coupe De France Finale in Paris, showcasing her success in international leagues.

August 2022: Returned to Lynx

In August 2022, Napheesa Collier returned to the Lynx and played four games, fulfilling her desire to play once more with Sylvia Fowles before her retirement.

June 29, 2023: Collier's Historic Game

On June 29, 2023, Napheesa Collier became only the second player in WNBA history to record a stat line with 30+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 5+ blocks, achieving 31 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and six blocks.

July 2023: Forming Unrivaled League

In July 2023, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart announced the formation of a new professional women's league, Unrivaled, offering WNBA players an alternative to playing overseas. The league would start in 2025.

2023: Played for Fenerbahçe and Named MVP

In 2023, Napheesa Collier played for Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Super League on a short-term contract. During her time with the team, she was named Most Valuable Player in the SuperCup Women championship.

January 2024: Returned to Fenerbahçe

In January 2024, Napheesa Collier returned to Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Super League after a short term contract in 2023.

April 2024: Won EuroLeague Women Championship

In April 2024, Napheesa Collier was part of the Fenerbahçe team that won the club's second straight EuroLeague Women championship. She scored 33 points in the final, which was the second highest ever, contributing significantly to the team's victory.

May 21, 2024: Western Conference Player of the Week

On May 21, 2024, Napheesa Collier was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the fifth time, averaging 24.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game.

May 27, 2024: Statistical Milestone

On May 27, 2024, Napheesa Collier became the first player in the league to ever achieve at least 115 points, 50 rebounds, and 25 or more steals and blocks, along with 20 assists, in any five-game stretch.

June 14, 2024: Record-Breaking Game

On June 14, 2024, in a Lynx home game against the Sparks, Napheesa Collier became the first WNBA player to ever have 30+ points, 8+ steals, 5+ rebounds, and 2+ blocks in a game, setting a new Lynx franchise record with eight steals.

June 25, 2024: Commissioner's Cup MVP

On June 25, 2024, Napheesa Collier won the MVP award when the Lynx won the 2024 WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship against the New York Liberty, highlighting her exceptional performance and leadership.

July 10, 2024: Announced to Play in Unrivaled

On July 10, 2024, Napheesa Collier was formally announced to appear and play in the inaugural season of Unrivaled, where she plays for Lunar Owls.

August 2024: Western Conference Player of the Month

In August 2024, Napheesa Collier was named the Western Conference Player of the Month by the WNBA, marking the first time she received this award. She was also named the Western Conference Player of the Week for August 15–25.

August 23, 2024: Historic Game Against Las Vegas Aces

On August 23, 2024, in a game against the Las Vegas Aces, Napheesa Collier out-rebounded the entire Aces team with 18 rebounds. Collier also became the first WNBA player to ever have 25+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 5+ assists on 70%+ shooting, achieving 27 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, and shot 73.3%.

September 22, 2024: 38 Points in Playoffs

On September 22, 2024, in the first game of the 2024 WNBA playoffs against the Phoenix Mercury, Napheesa Collier scored 38 points, becoming the second player in Lynx franchise history to have multiple 30+ point games in the postseason.

September 25, 2024: Tied WNBA Playoffs Record

On September 25, 2024, in the second game against the Mercury, Napheesa Collier scored 42 points, tying the WNBA playoffs single game point total record. In this game, she also set a WNBA record for the most points through the first two games of a playoff series with 80 points.

September 29, 2024: WNBA Defensive Player of the Year

On September 29, 2024, Napheesa Collier was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and was also named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team. Additionally, Maya Moore highlighted that Collier is hitting her prime.

October 8, 2024: Milestone Playoff Performance

On October 8, 2024, in the semifinals game 5 against the Connecticut Sun, Napheesa Collier became the first WNBA player to have 25+ points and 10+ rebounds in three straight playoff games.

2024: Won Olympic Gold Medal

In 2024, Napheesa Collier won her second Olympic gold medal playing on the United States women's national basketball team in the Paris games, showcasing her continued international success.

February 14, 2025: Unrivaled 1x1 Tournament Win

On February 14, 2025, Napheesa Collier won the Unrivaled 1x1 tournament and the $200,000 prize. Her win also resulted in each of her Lunar Owls teammates receiving $10,000.

May 28, 2025: Western Conference Player of the Week

On May 28, 2025, Napheesa Collier was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the league, recognizing her performance where she averaged 29.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.

2025: All-Star Captain

In 2025, Napheesa Collier was named as an All-Star and announced as team captain for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, marking her first captaincy in her WNBA career.

2025: Unrivaled League Start

In 2025, the Unrivaled League was started by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart to give WNBA players an option to play in the W's off season and have an alternative to playing overseas to earn money.