Napheesa Collier unsure what her future with Minnesota holds

Napheesa Collier may have played her last game with the Minnesota Lynx .

The 30-year-old WNBA star is set to become an unrestricted free agent, and it remains unclear whether she and Minnesota are interested in reuniting in 2027 after this year's team finished No. 1 in the regular season only to get swept by the eighth-seeded New York Liberty in the first round of the playoffs.

During Thursday's season-ending press conference, Collier said she hasn't had much time to think about what's next.

"Honestly, I haven't even thought about that. We lost less than 48 hours ago. We didn't expect to be here, you know?" Collier said. "I really haven't had any time to decompress or anything like that. I can tell you I love it here; I love the organization; I love my team and everything like that, but I just haven't had the time to give that any thought."

When she does start to think about what's next, she'll be talking to her family.

"Speaking to your family, speaking to everyone, and by doing what feels right for you. That's not something I'm thinking about right now by any means, but I think, just generally, in a process where you're making a big decision, those are the factors that go into it," Collier said.

Collier set herself up for free agency when she settled for a one-year, supermax contract ($1.4 million) with the Lynx earlier this year. She could've signed a multi-year deal like other WNBA stars did, à la A'ja Wilson's three-year deal with the Las Vegas Aces .

That doesn't mean she won't be back with Minnesota, but this would've been a non-factor had she signed with the Lynx for multiple years. If the Lynx do make her a compelling offer to re-sign, they'll do so under the impression that she'll return to the form that made her an MVP runner-up in 2024 and 2025.

Collier's 2026 season was limited to 16 regular-season games after ankle surgeries in January and March, respectively, kept her from debuting until July 22. She averaged 16.8 points and 6.9 rebounds, well below the 22.9 points she averaged in 2025 and the 9.7 rebounds she averaged in 2024.

"I feel confident that I'll be able to get back to my normal 100 (percent)," Collier said Thursday. "Just getting back to that baseline and exceeding that is my goal, and I have every confidence that it's going to happen."

If Collier returns, the Lynx could have the same starting five: Collier with Olivia Miles, Kayla McBride , Courtney Williams , and Natasha Howard , the latter four of whom are all under contract with Minnesota in 2027.

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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Oct 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Lynx section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.