Napheesa Collier to Have Ankle Surgeries, Miss Unrivaled Season

Minnesota Lynx star forward Napheesa Collier will undergo surgery on both ankles next week, sidelining her for four to six months and forcing her to miss the entire second season of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women's basketball league she co-founded, the organization announced Thursday.

The procedure, scheduled for the first week of January in New York City by Dr. Martin O'Malley, stems from injuries Collier sustained during the 2025 WNBA season. She sprained her right ankle on August 2 in a victory over the Las Vegas Aces, missing three weeks of action. Later, in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury on September 23 in Minneapolis, she tore three ligaments in her left ankle, along with a muscle strain in her left shin. Those setbacks contributed to the Lynx's elimination in four games, despite entering the playoffs as the top seed with a league-best 34-10 regular-season record.

Collier had expressed optimism about her recovery during a virtual press conference in December, stating she did not anticipate needing surgery and was focused on returning to full strength for Unrivaled's season opener on January 5. However, consultations with medical staff in Miami and...