Typically, you need to sit again and mentally rewind the clock to see simply how far you’ve come and all that you just’ve achieved. 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 power as a hooper and as a mom.
“I’m like a brand new mom, simply attempting to determine life,” Collier says, pondering again to her mindset on that day. “I really feel far more certain in myself and like motherhood 1751315104,” 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 part was model new.”
Right now, on set with Collier—higher recognized in these components as Queen Phee—you possibly can 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 group 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 12 months to this 12 months?
NAPHEESA COLLIER: You understand, final 12 months felt prefer it was a contented accident. Yearly you attempt your greatest, in fact, however we occurred to have the most effective group chemistry-wise after which we additionally occurred to be actually good basketball gamers. And to have each of these issues—it sounds small, but it surely’s actually uncommon once you love all your teammates and also you guys are good at basketball on the identical time. So we sort of fell into that final 12 months. And so now we all know what it may be. I believe simply ensuring that we don’t lose that chance. This 12 months, that’s what it appears like—we wish to make the most effective of it and benefit from this 12 months.
SLAM: You’ve performed underneath Coach Cheryl Reeve your entire skilled profession. What’s it about her teaching fashion that has pushed you to develop?
NC: I believe Cheryl does a very nice job of placing folks in locations to achieve success. She brings out the most effective in you as a participant, and she or he is aware of the place you’re going to suit nicely into the group and the way to get that out of you. So she’s actually taught me, like, the way to reap the benefits of the belongings you’re actually good at, and clearly work on the issues it’s essential to. She sort of makes you have a look at the sport slightly bit extra technically, and I believe that makes you a greater participant.
SLAM: There are such a lot of nice former Lynx gamers. Which veterans have had the largest affect on you?
NC: That’s so onerous as a result of we now have two [Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen] on the teaching workers. However I imply, Mama Syl [Sylvia Fowles] is unquestionably one in all my favorites. I performed along with her for 4 years. She’s simply, like, the most effective individual you ever wish to meet. So I’ve to say she’s positively one in all my favorites.
SLAM: Are you able to give us a narrative through the time you performed collectively?
NC: Syl was the primary individual that 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? For those who ever want something, you come to me, and she or he simply, like, bought 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 sport day. You understand, Good job, or Good lucok, 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 believe it’s simply extra duty for the youthful folks in your group. I talked earlier about how Syl made me really feel as a rookie, so inviting. And now it’s my job to do 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 appreciate that it’s my job to maintain the youthful ones. So having that transition was slightly bit more durable a pair years in the past when it began.
SLAM: Trying again, are you able to consider a second in your profession that felt small on the time however ended up altering all the things?
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 assume, Wherever I am going, you’re gonna make the most effective 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 important to go there. However I’m so fortunate that it occurred that approach. And after I bought drafted right here, that positively 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 large one—mom and spouse. I’m so household centered. I take a whole lot of delight in these areas. I’m a household individual. At my core, I really like simply decompressing, being round my household. I’d a lot relatively have an evening and play video games with my household than be out wherever else.
SLAM: What does an ideal off-day appear like?
NC: An ideal off-day for me—it is dependent upon if it’s a weekend or a college day, or Mila, if it’s a college day, you already know, she’s in school for slightly bit so I get a while to loosen up. I’ll most likely—that is going to sound boring—however get errands accomplished. Getting that accomplished for me is enjoyable now, so I don’t know, shopping for stuff for my home, or taking a nap is superior, binging some reveals, 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: Positively my household, my daughter. It simply places so many issues into perspective. Like I mentioned earlier than, basketball has by no means been a very powerful factor in my life, but it surely was the largest factor for a very very long time. And so now there are simply so many extra issues which are a lot extra essential to me. And it actually grounds you, it makes you see that it’s not so essential. Like, we’re taking part in a sport on the finish of the day, and taking part in the sport is basically essential, however my household is the primary at all times. So whether or not I’ve a very good day or a nasty day, Mila on the finish of the day, she’s like, “Mama!” [and] runs into your arms. It simply makes all the things higher. So my why has positively modified in that approach.
SLAM: How do you handle the chaos of all the things 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 positively, I really like napping. I’ve at all times cherished napping. So napping is primary when I’ve time, however, additionally, like beginning reveals or watching motion pictures, 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 gained your second Olympic God medal final summer season with Group USA. Does it really feel just like the Olympics had been simply yesterday or truly nearly a 12 months in the past?
NC: Truthfully, each. As a result of after I give it some thought, that it’s been nearly a 12 months, 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 may very well be yesterday. However then I believe, after that we went to the WNBA Finals, we launched Unequalled—I’ve accomplished all these items since then. So it’s sort of like that on the identical time. It feels distant and prefer it simply occurred.
SLAM: The panorama of girls’s basketball has been always rising and evolving. While you assume again to your rookie season, did you ever think about this may be the truth?
NC: No, actually. I imply, it’s loopy, as a result of normally change occurs so slowly, you possibly can’t actually observe it. Like, it occurs little by little, and impulsively you have a look at the place you might be and it’s totally different. This modification has occurred so quick. You possibly can observe 12 months by 12 months how totally different it’s. So it’s superb to be part of. I didn’t know if this may occur [during] my profession, so to see it occur so shortly, it’s so enjoyable to be part of.
SLAM: Your involvement within the development 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 ladies’s basketball?
NC: I believe 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 ladies athletes. Simply the best way that folks view ladies’s sports activities, the accessibility to us is greater than it’s ever been, the supply, the best way that you just’re in a position to see us on TV greater than ever. Like, we nonetheless wish to make a whole lot of modifications in that space, but it surely’s higher than it’s ever been, and you may see the expansion that’s occurring due to that. And so, yeah, I simply really feel like we’re in a time the place you possibly can see the playing cards, like, altering fingers 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 ladies’s sports activities.
SLAM: Constructing the League one brick at a time, you’ve at all times burdened the significance of the W being an area to play and to speculate. Now seeing the enterprise aspect, what are some classes you’ve picked up?
NC: I believe you see what occurs once you spend money on ladies’s sports activities—like, once you pay the gamers accordingly, once you give them an opportunity to be house owners in a league. I believe it’s unbelievable. Simply the buy-in that you just get from the gamers, how nicely it’s acquired by the followers. You additionally get slightly bit the place the League aspect comes from. Clearly as gamers, we wish to ask for essentially the most sum of money. And also you see the enterprise aspect the place you’ve gotten X bills. What I do assume 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 positively via Unequalled. I hope Unequalled is prospering in that approach, 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 ladies’s athletes. So I hope that we’re trailblazers in that approach—that’s the purpose of what Unequalled is.
There’s nonetheless lots I wish to accomplish as a participant, too. So I hope I modify the League in that approach. I wish to win championships, I wish to win various things, so in each of these areas, I hope I depart a mark.
Portraits by Matthew Coughlin.
