Generally, it’s a must to sit again and mentally rewind the clock to see simply how far you’ve come and all that you simply’ve achieved. Three years in the past, Napheesa Collier coated WSLAM Vol. 2 with the coverline “Superwoman.” Simply two weeks postpartum, Collier was on set together with her new child daughter, Mila, displaying her energy as a hooper and as a mom.
“I’m like a brand new mom, simply making an attempt to determine life,” Collier says, considering again to her mindset on that day. “I really feel far more certain in myself and like motherhood 1751295875,” 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 little thing was model new.”
At the moment, on set with Collier—higher identified in these elements 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 Unmatched, 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 12 months to this 12 months?
NAPHEESA COLLIER: You understand, final 12 months felt prefer it was a cheerful accident. Yearly you attempt your greatest, 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 all your teammates and also you guys are good at basketball on the similar time. So we type 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 one of the best of it and profit from this 12 months.
SLAM: You’ve performed beneath Coach Cheryl Reeve your complete 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 individuals in locations to achieve success. She brings out one of the best in you as a participant, and he or she is aware of the place you’re going to suit effectively into the staff and the best way to get that out of you. So she’s actually taught me, like, the best way to benefit from the stuff you’re actually good at, and clearly work on the issues it’s essential to. She type of makes you take a look at the sport just a little 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 most important influence on you?
NC: That’s so arduous as a result of we have now two [Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen] on the teaching employees. However I imply, Mama Syl [Sylvia Fowles] is certainly one in every of my favorites. I performed together with her for 4 years. She’s simply, like, one of the best particular person you ever wish to meet. So I’ve to say she’s positively one in every of my favorites.
SLAM: Are you able to give us a narrative in the course of 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 he or she 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 sport day. You understand, 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 few 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 individuals 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 individuals. You see what that duty is. That is my seventh season. I nonetheless really feel younger on the within, however now I’ve to understand that it’s my job to care for the youthful ones. So having that transition was just a little 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 all the things?
NC: Getting drafted to Minnesota, as a result of you don’t have any management over the place you get drafted. And also you all the time assume, 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 simply’re getting drafted and it’s so thrilling, however you don’t have any management and also you’re gonna go wherever you go. You must go there. However I’m so fortunate that it occurred that approach. And after I obtained 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 big one—mom and spouse. I’m so household centered. I take lots of satisfaction in these areas. I’m a household particular person. At my core, I really like simply decompressing, being round my household. I might a lot reasonably have an evening and play video games with my household than be out anyplace else.
SLAM: What does an ideal off-day appear like?
NC: An ideal off-day for me—it is determined by if it’s a weekend or a faculty day, or Mila, if it’s a faculty day, you realize, she’s at college for just a little bit so I get a while to loosen up. I’ll most likely—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 perhaps 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 crucial factor in my life, nevertheless it was the most important 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 sport on the finish of the day, and taking part in the sport is de facto necessary, however my household is the primary all the time. 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 all the time cherished napping. So napping is primary when I’ve time, however, additionally, like beginning exhibits or watching motion pictures, doing issues away from basketball, actually type 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 Group USA. Does it really feel just like the Olympics had been simply yesterday or truly virtually a 12 months in the past?
NC: Truthfully, each. As a result of after I give it some thought, that it’s been virtually 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 might be yesterday. However then I believe, after that we went to the WNBA Finals, we launched Unmatched—I’ve achieved all these items since then. So it’s type 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 always rising and evolving. If you assume again to your rookie season, did you ever think about this could 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 abruptly you take a look at the place you’re and it’s completely different. This alteration has occurred so quick. You’ll be able to observe 12 months by 12 months how completely different it’s. So it’s superb to be part of. I didn’t know if this could occur [during] my profession, so to see it occur so rapidly, 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 group in Unmatched. As a participant, trailblazer and chief inside the league, how would you describe this time in ladies’s basketball?
NC: I believe it’s similar to such a time of empowerment, actually, like we maintain probably the most playing cards we’ve ever held, probably the most energy that we’ve ever held as ladies athletes. Simply the way in which that individuals view ladies’s sports activities, the accessibility to us is greater than it’s ever been, the provision, the way in which that you simply’re in a position to see us on TV greater than ever. Like, we nonetheless wish to make lots of adjustments in that space, nevertheless it’s higher than it’s ever been, and you’ll 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 palms virtually, or the facility the gamers clearly have probably 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 all the time pressured 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 whenever you spend money on ladies’s sports activities—like, whenever you pay the gamers accordingly, whenever you give them an opportunity to be house owners in a league. I believe it’s unimaginable. Simply the buy-in that you simply get from the gamers, how effectively it’s obtained by the followers. You additionally get just a little bit the place the League aspect comes from. Clearly as gamers, we wish to ask for probably the most amount of cash. And also you see the enterprise aspect the place you may have X bills. What I do assume is there are areas the place we may 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 by Unmatched. I hope Unmatched 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 Unmatched is.
There’s nonetheless loads I wish to accomplish as a participant, too. So I hope I alter 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 go away a mark.
Portraits by Matthew Coughlin.
