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 and a founder of the Unrivaled basketball league alongside Breanna Stewart. She played college basketball for the UConn Huskies before being drafted 6th overall by the Lynx 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. She also serves as a vice president on the Women's National Basketball Players Association executive committee, demonstrating her leadership within the sport.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1961: Sierra Leone Independence

In 1961, Gershon Collier helped Sierra Leone gain its independence from the United Kingdom. Gershon is Napheesa Collier's grandfather.

2009: Catchings' Record

By the end of the finals in 2024, Collier broke Tamika Catchings' 2009 record and now holds the record for the most steals and blocks in postseason play with a total of 48.

2019: Drafted to the WNBA

In 2019, Napheesa Collier was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx with the 6th overall pick in the WNBA draft after playing college basketball for the University of Connecticut Huskies.

2019: Drafted by the Minnesota Lynx

In 2019, Napheesa Collier was selected by the Minnesota Lynx as the 6th overall pick in the WNBA draft. In her first WNBA game, Collier scored 27 points against the Chicago Sky.

2019: WNBA All-Rookie Team and All-Star Selection

In 2019, Napheesa Collier was voted to the WNBA All-Rookie Team, and made an All-Star as an injury replacement for A'ja Wilson.

2020: Started Podcast and All-WNBA Selection

During the 2020 season in the WNBA bubble, Napheesa Collier started a podcast with A'ja Wilson, Tea with A & Phee. She was also selected for the All-WNBA Second Team and the All-Defensive Second Team for the first time.

2020: Olympic Gold Medal

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

June 2021: Named to Olympic Basketball 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.

August 2022: Return to the Lynx

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

July 2023: Unrivaled League Announcement

In July 2023, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart announced the formation of a new professional women's league, Unrivaled.

2023: MVP in SuperCup Women Championship

In 2023, Collier played for Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Super League and 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.

April 2024: EuroLeague Women Championship

In April 2024, Napheesa Collier was part of the team that won Fenerbahçe's second straight EuroLeague Women championship, with Collier scoring 33 points in the final.

July 10, 2024: Unrivaled Announcement

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

September 22, 2024: 30+ Point Game

On September 22, 2024, in the first game of the 2024 WNBA playoffs against the Phoenix Mercury in Minnesota, Collier became the second player in Lynx franchise history (after Maya Moore) to have multiple 30+ point games in the postseason, scoring 38 points.

September 25, 2024: WNBA Playoffs Record

On September 25, 2024, in the second game against the Mercury, Collier scored 42 points, tying the WNBA playoffs single game point total record set by Breanna Stewart and Angel McCoughtry. She also set a WNBA record for the most points through the first two games of a playoff series (her total is 80 points).

October 4, 2024: Interaction with Fan Using ASL

On October 4, 2024, a video surfaced showing Napheesa Collier communicating with a fan using American Sign Language (ASL). Collier had learned sign language during her upbringing.

October 8, 2024: 25+ points and 10+ rebounds

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

2024: One of the Best Duos in the WNBA

In 2024, Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson are considered to be one of the best duo's in the WNBA, despite not even being on the same team for the 2024 WNBA season.

2024: Second Olympic Roster

In 2024, Napheesa Collier was named to the women's Olympic roster to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Collier and the United States defeated France 67–66 in the final, earning Collier her second consecutive gold medal.

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 meant each of her Lunar Owls teammates got $10,000.