On May 16, 2025, in Arlington, Texas, Napheesa Collier dropped 34 points in just 32 minutes, guiding the Minnesota Lynx to a 99–84 season-opening victory over the Dallas Wings. That dominant performance—spoiling Paige Bueckers’ WNBA debut, no less—made Collier only the second Lynx player ever to score 30-plus in an opener, joining Maya Moore’s 34-point burst on May 21, 2014.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year looked unstoppable early. Her 2024 season ended with MVP runner-up honors behind A’ja Wilson. Collier averaged 20.4 points and 9.7 rebounds while leading Minnesota’s Finals run. The 28-year-old entered 2025 hungrier than ever for championship redemption.

Just as the Lynx were settling into a perfect 5–0 start, Collier’s name appeared on the official injury report: “Napheesa Collier (knee) … QUESTIONABLE” for Friday’s crucial home tilt against Phoenix. She joins an unexpected list of early-season absences—Caitlin Clark (quad strain) and Jonquel Jones (knee) among them—that have already reshaped the 2025 MVP conversation

Napheesa Collier’s recent history underscores the worry: after battling plantar fasciitis in 2024, she managed to rebound for MVP runner-up honors behind A’ja Wilson (20.4 PPG, 9.7 RPG) and a Finals appearance. Now, Minnesota’s conference-leading position—and Collier’s championship quest—hinges on her availability. Should she sit, the Lynx risk ceding ground to the Phoenix Mercury, just one game back in the Western standings

The 2025 WNBA injury epidemic produces growing frustrations

Social media erupted within minutes of the injury report announcement. The collective response tells a story bigger than basketball.

The injury epidemic has reached a breaking point for fans. “The injuries this year have spared no one, it’s crazy.” This resignation reflects how 2025 has systematically destroyed fan expectations. What started as optimism has turned into damage control.

For many, Napheesa Collier represented the last hope after Clark’s absence. “No, Clark..now this? Lord, this season is sad AF.” With Caitlin Clark sidelined by a left quadriceps strain for at least two weeks and Jonquel Jones battling a right hamstring pull, fans saw Collier as the de facto MVP frontrunner. Her questionable tag felt like the final straw.

When a fan sighed, “No CC No JJ No Phee?” with a crying emoji. They referred to Caitlin Clark (CC), Jonquel Jones (JJ), and Napheesa Collier (Phee). Clark, the Fever’s dynamic rookie spark, has been sidelined for at least two weeks. New York Liberty star Jones missed her team’s 82-77 win over the Valkyries with a right hamstring strain—her 16.8 PPG and 9.8 RPG suddenly a “what if” for an undefeated squad. And now, Collier. With all three sidelined, the WNBA’s brightest stories are on pause—and fans feel it.

Several fans have moved beyond words into pure emotional reaction territory. “wtf???” Three question marks capture the speechless shock better than paragraphs could. This is not analysis anymore – it is a primal response to watching dreams crumble.

As Minnesota braces for Friday’s showdown with Phoenix, just one game back in the West, Collier’s status could make or break the Lynx’s early push. Their championship roadmap now hinges on the health of a single superstar. The 2025 injury epidemic has become the season’s defining subplot