Napheesa Collier reportedly agreed to terms with the Minnesota Lynx on a one-year, $1.4 million contract, according to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
She is the third WNBA player to land a supermax deal so far with the new collective bargaining agreement, joining A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces and Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever. Wilson, the reigning league MVP and Finals MVP is the only one of that trio to get a multi-year deal.
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The Lynx had previously hit Collier with a core qualifying offer, giving them exclusive negotiating rights and guaranteeing Collier the supermax for 2026. By signing only a one-year deal, Collier will be able to enter free agency next year and not be locked down by the core designation.
Collier returns to Minnesota with championship aspirations, after the team got bounced out of the semifinals last fall despite being the No. 1 team in the standings nearly all season.
It will be a different team in 2026, as Minnesota has seen key contributors Alanna Smith and Bridget Carleton exit, in free agency and through the expansion draft respectively. They have, however, re-signed Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams, and also landed TCU star Olivia Miles with the No. 2 pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft.
The supermax contract comes after Collier, as one of the vice presidents of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, helped negotiate the new CBA. She was outspoken at the end of last season, calling out the WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert for failing to address issues such as compensation, officiating and the state of overall play during her exit interview. She received support from players across the league. She is also a co-founder of Unrivaled, along with Breanna Stewart, which has given players a stateside option for offseason play to supplement their WNBA salaries.
As Collier has fought for higher salaries over the last year, she continues to be one of the best players in the league. She averaged 22.9 points per game last season, which ranked second behind Aces star A’ja Wilson. Collier is also a five-time WNBA All-Star, a four-time All-WNBA selection and has won both Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
Collier is expected to miss the start of the season after undergoing ankle surgery on both ankles following injuries suffered in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals against the Mercury.