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 energy 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 1751422239,” she says. “I’m again to enjoying, 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. All the pieces was model new.”
At the 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 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: , final 12 months felt prefer it was a cheerful accident. Yearly you attempt your finest, in fact, however we occurred to have the very best group 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 if you love your whole teammates and also you guys are good at basketball on the identical time. So we form of fell into that final 12 months. And so now we all know what it may be. I feel simply ensuring that we don’t lose that chance. This 12 months, that’s what it looks like—we need to make the very best 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 model that has pushed you to develop?
NC: I feel Cheryl does a very nice job of placing folks in locations to achieve success. She brings out the very best in you as a participant, and he or she is aware of the place you’re going to suit nicely into the group and the best way to get that out of you. So she’s actually taught me, like, the best way to reap the benefits of the stuff you’re actually good at, and clearly work on the issues it’s essential. She form of makes you have a look at the sport slightly bit extra technically, and I feel that makes you a greater participant.
SLAM: There are such a lot of nice former Lynx gamers. Which veterans have had the most important impression on you?
NC: That’s so laborious as a result of now we have two [Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen] on the teaching workers. However I imply, Mama Syl [Sylvia Fowles] is certainly considered one of my favorites. I performed along with her for 4 years. She’s simply, like, the very best particular person you ever need to meet. So I’ve to say she’s undoubtedly considered one of my favorites.
SLAM: Are you able to give us a narrative throughout the time you performed collectively?
NC: Syl was the primary person who 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, received 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 recreation day. , 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 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 feel 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 try 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 understand that it’s my job to deal with the youthful ones. So having that transition was slightly bit more durable 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 haven’t any management over the place you get drafted. And also you all the time assume, Wherever I’m going, you’re gonna make the very best of it. However I’m so fortunate to have gotten drafted right here, and it’s modified the trajectory of my whole profession. So it might 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. You need to go there. However I’m so fortunate that it occurred that manner. And after I received 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 lots of 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 fairly have an evening and play video games with my household than be out wherever else.
SLAM: What does an ideal off-day seem like?
NC: An ideal off-day for me—it is determined by if it’s a weekend or a college day, or Mila, if it’s a college day, you understand, 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 finished. Getting that finished 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 stated 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 might be a lot extra essential to me. And it actually grounds you, it makes you see that it’s not so essential. Like, we’re enjoying a recreation on the finish of the day, and enjoying the sport is de facto essential, however my household is the primary all the time. 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 all the things higher. So my why has undoubtedly modified in that manner.
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 house 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 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 form of fills my cup again up so I may give my all when I’m enjoying.
SLAM: You received your second Olympic God medal final summer time with Staff USA. Does it really feel just like the Olympics had been simply yesterday or truly virtually a 12 months in the past?
NC: Actually, 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 feel, after that we went to the WNBA Finals, we launched Unequalled—I’ve finished all these items since then. So it’s form of like that on the identical time. It feels distant and prefer it simply occurred.
SLAM: The panorama of ladies’s basketball has been consistently rising and evolving. Whenever you assume again to your rookie season, did you ever think about this may be the fact?
NC: No, truthfully. I imply, it’s loopy, as a result of normally change occurs so slowly, you may’t actually monitor it. Like, it occurs little by little, and impulsively you have a look at the place you might be and it’s completely different. This variation has occurred so quick. You may monitor 12 months by 12 months how completely different it’s. So it’s wonderful 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 inside the league, how would you describe this time in ladies’s basketball?
NC: I feel it’s identical to such a time of empowerment, truthfully, 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 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 capable of see us on TV greater than ever. Like, we nonetheless need to make lots of adjustments in that space, nevertheless it’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 may see the playing cards, like, altering fingers 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 careworn the significance of the W being an area to play and to take a position. Now seeing the enterprise facet, what are some classes you’ve picked up?
NC: I feel you see what occurs if you spend money on ladies’s sports activities—like, if you pay the gamers accordingly, if you give them an opportunity to be homeowners in a league. I feel it’s unimaginable. Simply the buy-in that you just get from the gamers, how nicely it’s obtained by the followers. You additionally get slightly bit the place the League facet comes from. Clearly as gamers, we need to ask for probably the most sum of money. And also you see the enterprise facet the place you’ve got 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 undoubtedly by way of Unequalled. I hope Unequalled is prospering in that manner, and due to that, it’s pushed the envelope in all of ladies’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 manner—that’s the aim of what Unequalled is.
There’s nonetheless so much I need to accomplish as a participant, too. So I hope I alter the League in that manner. I need to win championships, I need to win various things, so in each of these areas, I hope I depart a mark.
Portraits by Matthew Coughlin.
