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, displaying her power 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 1751374767,” 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. The whole lot was model new.”
Right this moment, on set with Collier—higher identified in these elements as Queen Phee—you may 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 crew and now a captain for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Sport. 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 remains 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 recognize, final yr felt prefer it was a cheerful accident. Yearly you attempt your greatest, in fact, however we occurred to have the most effective crew 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 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 yr. And so now we all know what it may be. I believe simply ensuring that we don’t lose that chance. This yr, that’s what it seems like—we need to make the most effective of it and profit from this yr.
SLAM: You’ve performed underneath Coach Cheryl Reeve your complete skilled profession. What’s it about her teaching model that has pushed you to develop?NC: I believe Cheryl does a extremely nice job of placing individuals 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 effectively into the crew and get that out of you. So she’s actually taught me, like, make the most of the belongings you’re actually good at, and clearly work on the issues it’s essential. She type of makes you take a look at the sport somewhat 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 affect on you?
NC: That’s so exhausting as a result of we’ve two [Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen] on the teaching workers. However I imply, Mama Syl [Sylvia Fowles] is unquestionably one in every of my favorites. I performed along with her for 4 years. She’s simply, like, the most effective particular person you ever need to meet. So I’ve to say she’s undoubtedly 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 person who welcomed me once 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 12 months. She’s like, What’s up child? Should you ever want something, you come to me, and she or he simply, like, acquired 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 recognize, Good job, or Good luck, 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 crew. 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 maintain the youthful ones. So having that transition was somewhat 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 every little thing?
NC: Getting drafted to Minnesota, as a result of you don’t have any management over the place you get drafted. And also you at all times suppose, Wherever I’m 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 total 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 don’t have 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 means. And once I acquired 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 large one—mom and spouse. I’m so household centered. I take numerous pleasure in these areas. I’m a household particular person. At my core, I really 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 anyplace 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 faculty day, or Mila, if it’s a faculty day, you recognize, she’s at college for somewhat bit so I get a while to calm down. I’ll most likely—that is going to sound boring—however get errands carried out. Getting that carried out 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 right day.
SLAM: What drives you now that perhaps 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 mentioned earlier than, basketball has by no means been crucial factor in my life, but it surely was the most important factor for a extremely very long time. And so now there are simply so many extra issues which are 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 at all times. So whether or not I’ve a very good day or a foul day, Mila on the finish of the day, she’s like, “Mama!” [and] runs into your arms. It simply makes every little thing higher. So my why has undoubtedly modified in that means.
SLAM: How do you handle the chaos of every little thing that the season brings?
NC: I don’t really feel like I take work dwelling 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 really like napping. I’ve at all times liked 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 season with Staff USA. Does it really feel just like the Olympics had been simply yesterday or truly virtually a yr in the past?
NC: Actually, each. As a result of once I give it some thought, that it’s been virtually 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 may very well be yesterday. However then I believe, after that we went to the WNBA Finals, we launched Unmatched—I’ve carried out all this stuff 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 continually rising and evolving. Once you suppose again to your rookie season, did you ever think about this is able to be the truth?NC: No, actually. I imply, it’s loopy, as a result of often change occurs so slowly, you may’t actually monitor it. Like, it occurs little by little, and unexpectedly you take a look at the place you’re and it’s totally different. This transformation has occurred so quick. You may monitor yr by yr how totally different it’s. So it’s wonderful to be part of. I didn’t know if this is able to 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 neighborhood in Unmatched. As a participant, trailblazer and chief throughout the league, how would you describe this time in girls’s basketball?
NC: I believe it’s similar 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 best way that folks view girls’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 need to make numerous modifications in that space, but it surely’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 arms virtually, or the facility the gamers clearly have essentially the most energy. And it’s clearly, as a participant, a extremely enjoyable time to be part of girls’s sports activities.
SLAM: Constructing the League one brick at a time, you’ve at all times confused 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 put money into girls’s sports activities—like, whenever you pay the gamers accordingly, whenever you give them an opportunity to be homeowners in a league. I believe it’s unimaginable. Simply the buy-in that you just get from the gamers, how effectively it’s acquired by the followers. You additionally get somewhat bit the place the League aspect comes from. Clearly as gamers, we need to ask for essentially the most amount of cash. And also you see the enterprise aspect the place you might have X bills. What I do suppose 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 undoubtedly by means of Unmatched. I hope Unmatched is prospering in that means, 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 means—that’s the objective of what Unmatched is.
There’s nonetheless quite a bit I need to accomplish as a participant, too. So I hope I modify the League in that means. I need to win championships, I need to win various things, so in each of these areas, I hope I go away a mark.
Portraits by Matthew Coughlin.
