The Minnesota Lynx need Napheesa Collier back. Wednesday's Sparks vs. Lynx game made that clear. Rookie Olivia Miles rolled her ankle in the fourth quarter and did not return, even as Minnesota held on for a 96-87 home win.
Miles finished with 18 points, four rebounds, and five assists in 26 minutes before exiting. Coaching staff helped her off the court. After the game, social media video showed her celebrating with teammates and walking without a limp, a positive sign.
When Will Napheesa Collier Return From Injury for the Minnesota Lynx?
Still, the scare adds urgency to the Napheesa Collier injury timeline.
Collier has not played this season after undergoing offseason surgeries on both ankles. The two-time MVP runner-up pushed through a demanding 2025 playoff run before opting for surgery. Yet head coach Cheryl Reeve recently confirmed Collier is back at practice and nearing her debut.
"There is not anybody that walks into the gym that doesn't know that it's still Phee's team," Reeve said of her captain.
Veterans Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride have carried the load alongside Miles. But Wednesday showed how thin the margin is without Collier.
"We've been holding it down and it's been a lot of fun. I think there's a lot of cohesion, a lot of confidence in one another right now and just finding ways to win," McBride said after Minnesota's win over the Liberty. "I think when you care about one another and you're trying to win every possession, you're competing together, you're always trying to find a way."
For the first place Lynx, now 19-6, getting their captain back cannot come soon enough.
