Five-time All-Star Napheesa Collier is listed as probable for the Minnesota Lynx's game at Seattle on Wednesday, which would mark her first action since injuring her left ankle in last year's playoffs, according to [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/lynx-napheesa-collier-active-18240c6c97e98b9cc7c5e7a0d772dded).
Collier, a four-time All-WNBA selection, missed the entire first half of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery on both ankles during the offseason. She initially injured her right ankle in August 2025, missing three weeks, before tearing three ligaments in her left ankle during Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury.
The return of the 2025 MVP runner-up is a major boost for a Lynx team that has more than coped with her absence. Led by All-Star rookie Olivia Miles, Minnesota is riding a six-game winning streak and owns the league's best record at 21-6.
Collier finished second to Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson in MVP voting for the second consecutive year last season. She averaged 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks, and became only the second player in WNBA history to shoot at least 50% from the field, 40% from three-point range and 90% from the free-throw line in a single season.
She signed a one-year, $1.4 million supermax contract in April, committing to the franchise through the 2026 season despite her recovery timeline. Her return gives the Lynx a significant weapon for the playoff push, adding one of the league's elite two-way players to an already dominant roster.
Wednesday's matchup against the Seattle Storm will be closely watched as Collier works her way back into game shape. The Lynx have not rushed her return, allowing full rehabilitation from the dual-ankle surgery before clearing her for game action.
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