Sports

Minnesota Lynx sign F Nahpeesa Collier to supermax contract

April 17 (UPI) -- The Minnesota Lynx re-signed forward Napheesa Collier, the WNBA franchise announced.

The Lynx announced the signing Friday night, but did not disclose the terms of the pact. Sources told ESPN and the Minnesota Star Tribune that the supermax contract is for one year and worth $1.4 million.

"Phee has been such an integral part of the Lynx since she was drafted in 2019," Lynx coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said in a news release.

"Coming off a historic 50/40/90 season and guiding the Lynx to the most wins in franchise history, Phee is hungry to position the Lynx for a championship run in 2026."

A'Ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces and Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever are the only other two WNBA players to have signed super max deals. Collier and Mitchell are scheduled to hit free agency next off-season. Wilson signed a three-year pact.

Collier averaged a career-high 22.9 points, with 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks per game last season for the Lynx, who posted a league-best 34 regular-season wins, but lost to the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA semifinals. The Lynx's 34 wins also tied the 2023 Aces for the most regular-season victories in WNBA history.

The 29-year-old finished as the runner-up for MVP honors, losing out to Wilson for the second consecutive year. Collier, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, earned her fifth All-Star selection and fourth All-NBA nod.

The former UConn star, who joined the Lynx as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft, averaged 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game through her first seven seasons.

She also helped Team USA win two Olympic gold medals.

The Lynx will take on the Washington Mystics in a preseason matchup at 7:30 p.m. EDT April 25 in Washington, D.C. They will host the Atlanta Dream in their regular-season opener May 10 in Minneapolis.

Copyright 2026 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 3:09 AM.

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