Napheesa Collier on $1.4M contract decision Lynx future: Every year there are new opportunities

Napheesa Collier's return to the Minnesota Lynx wasn't supposed to be a surprise, but when it happened, it turned some heads. With the stellar contributions she’s made for the franchise it was pretty obvious that the Lynx were going to keep their 5-time All-Star. The franchise handed her a $1.4M supermax salary well deserved for a player of her caliber. The only catch is the length of the contract: a short one-year deal that makes her an unrestricted free agent next season and clouds her long term future with the franchise. Ahead of the season kick-off now Collier has shared her thoughts on this front.

This is what Collier explains in an interview with NPR. Though she didn’t make it clear what her future might look like in the franchise next season. “I’m so focused on the now. “I feel like I just had two surgeries,” Collier said. As the cornerstone franchise player of the Minnesota Lynx, it was expected the Lynx would keep her off to a long-term deal to make sure of their future. We saw the Las Vegas Aces do it with A’ja Wilson and the NY Liberty with Breanna Stewart, both signing three-year deals to stay with their respective teams. But it was different for Phee and that immediately begs the question: Is Collier looking for any other opportunity outside of Minnesota next season?

She is not thinking of that now for Collier. “I mean there are new opportunities every year and every time you get off your contract there are opportunities,” Collier said. “But that’s so far in the future again for me. We haven’t even started game one of this year and that’s not even something on my mind.

Napheesa Collier is a seven-year veteran so joining a new team won't even be a problem. Her numbers speak for themselves averaging better than 20 points per game the past three seasons. Also, it's her acumen as a firm defensive presence near the paint that has a lot of franchises willing to break the bank to get Collier on their roster.

The financial aspect of it doesn’t bother Collier in Minnesota either. She’s getting a supermax salary in this team too. But whether she wants to make a shift and chase her dreams with any other team, it’s a decision she will have to make next season when her one-year supermax contract with the team expires.

But it’s a discussion Collier is not even thinking about now as she’s just looking to chase her goals with the team which is to get back on the court as soon as possible and help the team win more trophies, medals & championships. That’s a title Collier has worn ever since she signed on the dotted line of her Minnesota contract. Talking at the first press conference of the season. Collier did not specify what her future with Lynx entails, stating she is concentrating on the intangibles.

“Right now, I’m just so focused on this year with my injury and winning a Championship,” she said. “That’s what I’m doing. “So, I think just getting back with our amazing staff, playing with our amazing players, and just focus on this year and win.

For now, the ceiling for the Minnesota Lynx goes up with Napheesa Collier returning to the team on a short-term deal for this season. With plenty of young players on the roster, including Olivia Miles, Collier can also be a mentor, teaching them how to meet the standards necessary to play in a historic program like the Minnesota Lynx.

The on-court side of it is a positive, of course, that will bring balance and a sense of leadership to the team.” But there is one aspect of this team that Collier has some unfinished business with.

Napheesa Collier Shrugs Off Any Pressure Around Her Immediate Goals With Minnesota Lynx

In her interview with NPR, the Minnesota veteran clearly spelled out her reasons to win the coveted WNBA title with the Lynx. I mean for me my biggest goal is to win a Championship Collier said. That’s something I haven’t done yet. That's why you play to win. On paper it could be a full-circle moment for Napheesa Collier of course winning a Championship for the franchise where she began her WNBA career will be a special moment. But this success story will not be a simple one.

The Minnesota Lynx are one of the most successful franchises in the league with 4 WNBA titles. But their last silverware came in 2017 two years before Collier’s arrival. Playing for such a successful franchise does create constant expectations of winning the title which Collier and team haven’t been able to crack this dominant era of the Las Vegas Aces.

The Lynx came so close in 2024, losing to the NY Liberty in the finals (2-3), but still missing that final leap. In a follow-up question during the interview, Collier was also asked if she feels the burden of always striving for a Championship in such a historically successful program. But it doesn’t matter to Collier, as she feels there are plenty of Championship-winning individuals in the team.

“I mean, not so much the weight but just I want it for me and my teammates too,” she said on this. “You are among people who not only know what is possible but know how to get there. So I feel very lucky in that. And my coach and our assistant coaches, they all won. So they know the formula.

Napheesa Collier doesn’t have a guaranteed future next season with the Minnesota Lynx under a one-year contract. So maybe the 2026 one is make-or-break as far as her Championship hopes go. It’s only a matter of time before we see Collier taking over the frontcourt for the Lynx when she’s expected back next season. The Lynx will start their season May 9 against the Atlanta Dream without her.