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 an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA. A UConn Huskies alumna, she was drafted 6th overall in 2019. Beyond the WNBA, Collier has achieved success with the United States women's national basketball team, winning Olympic gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 games. She is a co-founder of the Unrivaled basketball league with Breanna Stewart. Currently, Collier also serves as a vice president on the Women's National Basketball Players Association executive committee.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1961: Sierra Leone gains independence

In 1961, Gershon Collier, Napheesa Collier's grandfather, played a role in helping Sierra Leone gain its independence from the United Kingdom.

2009: Holds Record

By the end of the finals, Napheesa Collier became the first player in the league to lead a single playoff run in points (285), rebounds (107), steals (25), and blocks (23). She also broke Tamika Catchings' 2009 record and now holds the record for the most steals and blocks in postseason play with a total of 48.

2013: Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year

In 2013, Napheesa Collier was named the Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year while playing for Jefferson City High School.

2015: Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year and Naismith Award Finalist

In 2015, Napheesa Collier was named the Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year for the second time, and she was one of five finalists for the Naismith Award as national Player of the Year and a Women's Basketball Coaches Association High School All-American.

2016: Connecticut Huskies National Champion

Napheesa Collier was a member of the 2016 Connecticut Huskies National Champion team.

2019: Drafted into WNBA

In 2019, Napheesa Collier was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx with the 6th overall pick in the WNBA draft.

2019: WNBA Debut

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 appearance as an injury replacement for A'ja Wilson.

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.

2020: Tea with A & Phee Podcast and All-WNBA Selection

In the 2020 season, 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.

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.

August 2022: Return to the Lynx

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

June 29, 2023: Historic Stat Line

During the June 29, 2023 game, Napheesa Collier became only the second player in WNBA history to put up a stat line with 30+ points/5+ rebounds/5+ assists/5+ blocks.

July 2023: Announces New Women's League

In July 2023, Napheesa Collier announced that she and Breanna Stewart were forming a new professional women's league, Unrivaled, to give WNBA players an option to play in the W's off season and have an alternative to playing overseas to earn money.

2023: Plays for Fenerbahçe

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

January 2024: Returns 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 Fenerbahçe team that won the club's second straight EuroLeague Women championship. Collier had 33 points in the final, which was the second highest ever.

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 on 46.3% shooting, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game."

May 27, 2024: First in the League

As reported by Cheryl Reeve on May 27, 2024, Napheesa Collier became the first player in the league to ever "score at least 115 points, get 50 rebounds and have 25 or more steals and blocks (she has 14 steals and 11 blocks) and 20 assists in any five-game stretch."

June 14, 2024: New WNBA Record

In the June 14, 2024, 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. Her eight steals in the game set a new Lynx franchise record.

June 25, 2024: MVP Award

Napheesa Collier won the MVP award when the Lynx won the 2024 WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship on June 25, 2024, against the New York Liberty.

July 10, 2024: Collier to Play in Unrivaled Inaugural Season

On July 10, 2024, Napheesa Collier was formally announced to appear and play in the inaugural season of Unrivaled. 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, which was the first time she received this award.

August 23, 2024: Outrebounded Entire Opposing Team

In the August 23, 2024, game against the Las Vegas Aces, Napheesa Collier out rebounded the entire Aces team with 18 rebounds (Aces had 17). She became only the third WNBA player to ever individually outrebound the entire opposing team. Collier's performance in that game against the Aces also created league history with her becoming the first WNBA player to ever have 25+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 5+ assists on 70%+ shooting; Collier had 27 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, and shot 73.3%.

September 22, 2024: Multiple 30+ Point Games

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

September 25, 2024: Ties WNBA Playoffs Record

In the second game against the Mercury on September 25, 2024, Napheesa Collier scored 42 points, tying the WNBA playoffs single game point total record set by Breanna Stewart and Angel McCoughtry. In this game, she set a WNBA record for the most points through the first two games of a playoff series (her total is 80 points). She was also the first WNBA player to score 35+ points in consecutive postseason games.

September 29, 2024: Defensive Player of the Year

On September 29, 2024, before the Lynx began their semifinals series against the Connecticut Sun, Napheesa Collier was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and also named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team.

October 8, 2024: Three Straight Playoff Games

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

2024: Second Olympic Gold Medal

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

2025: Unrivaled League Started

In 2025, the Unrivaled league started and features 36 players in a 3-on-3 and 1-on-1 format. The initial season is from January through March and is played in Miami.