Napheesa Collier is betting on herself, and the Minnesota Lynx are rolling the dice right alongside her. Collier will be back at the helm and has accepted the core qualifying offer she received a few weeks ago, despite uncertainty about her status due to the ankle injury she suffered last season.

Basketball insider and reporter Alexa Philippou has confirmed that Collier will return for a one-year stint at a supermax $1.4M salary, per the regular provisions of the core qualifying offer. But the interesting provision in this deal is that the franchise won’t be able to core her again next season as per the provisions of a new CBA, making her free to negotiate terms with any other team.

“Napheesa Collier is back with the Lynx — but will be an unrestricted free agent (and not core-able) in 2027,” the post read.

Collier’s return in time is still under the scanner a bit, given her recovery from the two ankle surgeries. Initial reports indicated that Phee would return between June and July. As a result of her surgery, the 29-year-old also missed the Unrivaled 3-on-3 offseason league. It means the Lynx may have to tip off their season without their franchise player. Nevertheless, Collier’s return to the Lynx is a W of gigantic proportions for the franchise.

The five-time WNBA All-Star has been the single most crucial player for the franchise over the last few years, averaging 18.4 points per game across her Lynx stretch despite injury being a known caveat. Additionally, there’s no doubt about her skill set on the frontcourt as well. The 29-year-old is one of the most precise shooters from the field in recent years, scoring over 50% from the field last season and north of 40% from beyond the arc last season.

And subsequently, the Lynx front office has consistently shown intent to bring Collier back to the team, and sending the core qualifying offer right away just adds more weight to it. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve recently spoke about Collier’s return to the team and its significance.

“Phee has been such an integral part of the Lynx since she was drafted in 2019,” she said. “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.”

The one-year short-term deal might raise questions about her future in the team and the subsequent provision where she can’t be cored by the Lynx. But it kind of gives both the team and Collier an independence to choose from after the season is over.

But that’s a tale for another day, as the important news is that the Minnesota Lynx have got the ace of their deck back and subsequently will look to better their last season’s finish, a semifinal appearance where they lost to the Phoenix Mercury 1-3.

How Does Minnesota Lynx’s Roster Look After Napheesa Collier’s Signing?

Collier’s importance doesn’t stem solely from her performance. Because context matters too. The Minnesota Lynx have already lost crucial players from its roster, including Alanna Smith, Bridget Carleton, and DiJonai Carrington, in this free agency window, leading to reduced bench depth compared to last season.

Thus, Collier’s return amid such a situation immediately raises the ceiling for the team ahead of the season and gives it a much-needed breather. With Collier’s addition, the team looks quite complete, courtesy of the leadership she brings to the court.

It’s true that the Lynx have also signed some crucial players, even as their departing campaigners leave. Courtney Williams re-signing with the team and Natasha Howard’s homecoming to Minnesota are major positives for the team. On top of that, the team has also used its WNBA Draft pick effectively, bringing in Olivia Miles, a player who averaged over 19 points per game for TCU during the 2025-26 collegiate season.

But despite these signings, they needed a charismatic player like Napheesa Collier to pave the way for the team. To be honest, the Minnesota Lynx isn’t an Avengers team like the New York Liberty, featuring Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Satou Sabally, or the Las Vegas Aces, featuring A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray. But with Collier returning, it’s also not a team that you could look at as an underdog.

Even then, the challenge will arise in the first few games of the season when Napheesa Collier will be absent, reportedly. It will be interesting to see how the team copes with leadership in these games. Their official season tips off on May 10 against the Atlanta Dream. But before that, they have a couple of pre-season games against the Washington Mystics and the Toronto Tempo.