Napheesa Collier’s Return and "The Spectacle" Make the Lynx Unstoppable

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As if the rest of the WNBA didn’t already have enough to worry about, the league-leading Minnesota Lynx just dropped a piece of news that should terrify every other front office.

All-Star forward and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa “Phee” Collier has officially returned to team practice activities. After undergoing offseason surgeries on both of her ankles following a devastating injury in last year’s semifinals, Collier is finally on the cusp of stepping back onto the hardwood.

The wildest part? While Collier has been rehabbing, the Lynx haven’t just been surviving—they’ve been destroying the league. Minnesota sits comfortably at the top of the standings with a 15-4 record. Bringing a top-three player in the world back into this lineup feels less like a standard injury return and more like a cheat code.

Unlocking “The Spectacle”: Olivia Miles Is About to Get Even Better

If you want to know why the Lynx are 15-4 without their franchise anchor, look no further than rookie sensation Olivia Miles.

Drafted No. 2 overall, the goggles-wearing point guard—affectionately dubbed “The Spectacle” by Lynx faithful—is putting together what is tracking to be the greatest rookie season in WNBA history. She isn’t just running away with Rookie of the Year; she has forced her way right into the MVP conversation.

The Historical Pace: Miles is currently averaging a spectacular 18.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game.
The Record Breaker: She recently became the fastest rookie alongside Paige Bueckers to eclipse 250 points and 50 assists, and set a league record by generating an absurd 485 total points (via scoring and assists) in her first 15 career games.
The Praise: When Kevin Garnett publicly posts that you are “one of the best rookies in ALL of basketball,” you know the hype is real.

Now, imagine what happens when you pair a rookie point guard with that level of elite court vision alongside a healthy Napheesa Collier.

Before her injury, Collier turned in a historic, hyper-efficient 2025 campaign, averaging 22.9 points on 50/40/90 shooting splits. Phee is the ultimate multi-tool weapon: she cuts relentlessly, scores in the post, anchors the defense, and spaces the floor. Miles has been tearing defenses apart while drawing maximum defensive attention; adding a premier, high-IQ safety valve like Collier means Miles will have open passing lanes and single-coverage looks she hasn’t seen since college.

The Undisputed Championship Favorites

With Collier progressing toward game action, the championship calculus for the rest of the league changes entirely.

Before today, teams like the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty could comfort themselves with the idea that the Lynx were riding a hot streak fueled by rookie adrenaline. But plugging a supermax superstar into a system that is already firing on all cylinders changes everything.

The Blueprint for Dominance: A closing lineup featuring Olivia Miles orchestrating the offense, Kayla McBride spacing the perimeter, and a frontline of Napheesa Collier and Natasha Howard is an absolute nightmare to game-plan against. They possess the length to switch everything defensively and the pure basketball IQ to dissect any zone or double-team thrown their way.

Depth matters in the regular season, but star power wins titles. Minnesota already has the chemistry, the league-best record, and a historically dominant rookie running the show. Adding a hungry, healthy, and refreshed Napheesa Collier to the mix doesn’t just make the Lynx a title contender—it makes them the definitive, undisputed favorites to hoist the trophy when it’s all said and done.