Minnesota Lynx Star Napheesa Collier Covers SLAM 257

Generally, it’s important to sit again and mentally rewind the clock to see simply how far you’ve come and all that you just’ve completed. Three years in the past, Napheesa Collier lined WSLAM Vol. 2 with the coverline “Superwoman.” Simply two weeks postpartum, Collier was on set along with her new child daughter, Mila, exhibiting her energy as a hooper and as a mom.

“I’m like a brand new mom, simply attempting to determine life,” Collier says, considering again to her mindset on that day. “I really feel far more certain in myself and like motherhood 1751296854,” she says. “I’m again to taking part in, in order that feels actually good. Being round my teammates once more. I simply really feel far more grounded in my life. That point was so unsure. Every thing was model new.”

Immediately, on set with Collier—higher identified in these components as Queen Phee—you may see a change. She’s now a two-time Olympic Gold medalist, a WNBA finalist, the co-founder of Unequalled, the unmistakable chief of her staff and now a captain for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Recreation. As we went to press, Collier was averaging a League-leading 24.5 ppg together with 8.4 rpg and three.8 apg for the League-leading Lynx. 

Three years have flown by, however one factor stays the identical: Collier continues to be a superwoman.

SLAM: You had been the primary Western Convention Participant of the Month this season. What has modified for you from final yr to this yr?

NAPHEESA COLLIER: You realize, final yr felt prefer it was a contented accident. Yearly you strive your finest, in fact, however we occurred to have one of the best staff chemistry-wise after which we additionally occurred to be actually good basketball gamers. And to have each of these issues—it sounds small, nevertheless it’s actually uncommon whenever you love your whole teammates and also you guys are good at basketball on the similar time. So we sort of fell into that final yr. And so now we all know what it may be. I feel simply ensuring that we don’t lose that chance. This yr, that’s what it looks like—we wish to make one of the best of it and benefit from this yr.

SLAM: You’ve performed beneath Coach Cheryl Reeve your complete skilled profession. What’s it about her teaching model that has pushed you to develop?

NC: I feel Cheryl does a very nice job of placing folks in locations to achieve success. She brings out one of the best in you as a participant, and she or he is aware of the place you’re going to suit nicely into the staff and find out how to get that out of you. So she’s actually taught me, like, find out how to benefit from the belongings you’re actually good at, and clearly work on the issues it is advisable. She sort of makes you have a look at the sport a bit bit extra technically, and I feel that makes you a greater participant.

SLAM: There are such a lot of nice former Lynx gamers. Which veterans have had the largest influence on you?

NC: That’s so exhausting as a result of now we have two [Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen] on the teaching employees. However I imply, Mama Syl [Sylvia Fowles] is unquestionably considered one of my favorites. I performed along with her for 4 years. She’s simply, like, one of the best individual you ever wish to meet. So I’ve to say she’s undoubtedly considered one of my favorites.

SLAM: Are you able to give us a narrative throughout the time you performed collectively?

NC: Syl was the primary person who welcomed me after I got here to the Lynx, the very first day of coaching camp, which—she’s, like, a Corridor of Fame participant, MVP, Defensive Participant of the Yr. She’s like, What’s up child? In the event you ever want something, you come to me, and she or he simply, like, obtained me in an enormous bear hug. I used to be squished on her. And that’s simply who she is. In order that was superior to have her as my vet coming into the League, and now nonetheless she texts me after each recreation day. You realize, Good job, or Good lucokay, or no matter it’s. She’s superior.

SLAM: You’re on this interval of your profession the place you’re not but a vet…

NC: Thanks for saying that.

SLAM: Over the previous couple of years, you’ve seen the League develop, however you’ve additionally grown your self as a participant. How has that transition been?

NC: Yeah, I feel it’s simply extra duty for the youthful folks in your staff. I talked earlier about how Syl made me really feel as a rookie, so inviting. And now it’s my job to try this for the youthful folks. You see what that duty is. That is my seventh season. I nonetheless really feel younger on the within, however now I’ve to comprehend that it’s my job to deal with the youthful ones. So having that transition was a bit bit tougher a pair years in the past when it began.

SLAM: Wanting again, are you able to consider a second in your profession that felt small on the time however ended up altering the whole lot?

NC: Getting drafted to Minnesota, as a result of you haven’t any management over the place you get drafted. And also you at all times suppose, Wherever I am going, you’re gonna make one of the best of it. However I’m so fortunate to have gotten drafted right here, and it’s modified the trajectory of my complete profession. So it may need appeared small on the time—like, clearly not small within the sense that you just’re getting drafted and it’s so thrilling, however you haven’t any management and also you’re gonna go wherever you go. It’s a must to go there. However I’m so fortunate that it occurred that method. And after I obtained drafted right here, that undoubtedly modified my life. 

SLAM: If we had been to take all of the titles and accolades away, how would you describe your self at your core?

NC: I really feel like mom is a big one—mom and spouse. I’m so household centered. I take plenty of pleasure in these areas. I’m a household individual. At my core, I like simply decompressing, being round my household. I’d a lot slightly have an evening and play video games with my household than be out wherever else. 

SLAM: What does an ideal off-day appear to be?

NC: An ideal off-day for me—it relies on if it’s a weekend or a college day, or Mila, if it’s a college day, you understand, she’s at college for a bit bit so I get a while to chill out. I’ll in all probability—that is going to sound boring—however get errands achieved. Getting that achieved for me is enjoyable now, so I don’t know, shopping for stuff for my home, or taking a nap is superior, binging some exhibits, simply doing, like, lazy stuff is the proper day.

SLAM: What drives you now that possibly didn’t drive you early on in your profession? 

NC: Undoubtedly my household, my daughter. It simply places so many issues into perspective. Like I stated earlier than, basketball has by no means been a very powerful factor in my life, nevertheless it was the largest factor for a very very long time. And so now there are simply so many extra issues which can be a lot extra necessary to me. And it actually grounds you, it makes you see that it’s not so necessary. Like, we’re taking part in a recreation on the finish of the day, and taking part in the sport is de facto necessary, however my household is the primary at all times. So whether or not I’ve day or a nasty day, Mila on the finish of the day, she’s like, “Mama!” [and] runs into your arms. It simply makes the whole lot higher. So my why has undoubtedly modified in that method.

SLAM: How do you handle the chaos of the whole lot that the season brings? 

NC: I don’t really feel like I take work residence with me. I’ve by no means been one which was obsessive about basketball. I actually love to do different issues in my life. And so undoubtedly, I like napping. I’ve at all times beloved napping. So napping is primary when I’ve time, however, additionally, like beginning exhibits or watching films, doing issues away from basketball, actually sort of fills my cup again up so I may give my all when I’m taking part in.

SLAM: You received your second Olympic God medal final summer time with Staff USA. Does it really feel just like the Olympics had been simply yesterday or really nearly a yr in the past?

NC: Actually, each. As a result of after I give it some thought, that it’s been nearly a yr, it’s loopy—a lot has occurred in between then [and now]. Additionally, it’s so vivid in my thoughts that it feels prefer it might be yesterday. However then I feel, after that we went to the WNBA Finals, we launched Unequalled—I’ve achieved all this stuff since then. So it’s sort of like that on the similar time. It feels far-off and prefer it simply occurred.

SLAM: The panorama of girls’s basketball has been continually rising and evolving. Whenever you suppose again to your rookie season, did you ever think about this might be the truth?

NC: No, actually. I imply, it’s loopy, as a result of normally change occurs so slowly, you may’t actually observe it. Like, it occurs little by little, and swiftly you have a look at the place you might be and it’s completely different. This transformation has occurred so quick. You possibly can observe yr by yr how completely different it’s. So it’s wonderful to be part of. I didn’t know if this might occur [during] my profession, so to see it occur so rapidly, it’s so enjoyable to be part of.

SLAM: Your involvement within the progress has not gone unnoticed, with the creation of a brand new neighborhood in Unequalled. As a participant, trailblazer and chief throughout the league, how would you describe this time in girls’s basketball?

NC: I feel it’s identical to such a time of empowerment, actually, like we maintain essentially the most playing cards we’ve ever held, essentially the most energy that we’ve ever held as girls athletes. Simply the way in which that folks view girls’s sports activities, the accessibility to us is greater than it’s ever been, the supply, the way in which that you just’re capable of see us on TV greater than ever. Like, we nonetheless wish to make plenty of modifications in that space, nevertheless it’s higher than it’s ever been, and you may see the expansion that’s taking place due to that. And so, yeah, I simply really feel like we’re in a time the place you may see the playing cards, like, altering palms nearly, or the ability the gamers clearly have essentially the most energy. And it’s clearly, as a participant, a very enjoyable time to be part of girls’s sports activities.

SLAM: Constructing the League one brick at a time, you’ve at all times pressured the significance of the W being an area to play and to take a position. Now seeing the enterprise facet, what are some classes you’ve picked up? 

NC: I feel you see what occurs whenever you spend money on girls’s sports activities—like, whenever you pay the gamers accordingly, whenever you give them an opportunity to be homeowners in a league. I feel it’s unimaginable. Simply the buy-in that you just get from the gamers, how nicely it’s acquired by the followers. You additionally get a bit bit the place the League facet comes from. Clearly as gamers, we wish to ask for essentially the most sum of money. And also you see the enterprise facet the place you may have X bills. What I do suppose is there are areas the place we might push the boundaries some extra.

SLAM: If somebody 10 years from now says, “Napheesa modified the League,” what do you hope they imply?

NC: I hope by “change the league” they imply undoubtedly via Unequalled. I hope Unequalled is flourishing in that method, and due to that, it’s pushed the envelope in all of girls’s sports activities [and] we’re altering what it means to pay and deal with girls’s athletes. So I hope that we’re trailblazers in that method—that’s the objective of what Unequalled is. 

There’s nonetheless quite a bit I wish to accomplish as a participant, too. So I hope I modify the League in that method. I wish to win championships, I wish to win various things, so in each of these areas, I hope I go away a mark.

Portraits by Matthew Coughlin.