Over this past WNBA offseason, around 80 percent of its players became free agents; five-time All-Star Napheesa Collier was a name at the very top of that list. Luckily for the Minnesota Lynx, despite losing many of their stars, Phee decided to stick around. She signed a one-year, $1.4 million supermax deal.
The one-year deal worried some fans, who hoped for a longer-term commitment from their team's star player. Per Andrew Dukowitz, when Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve was asked about Collier's free-agency decision, she stated, "...We had a lot of uncertainty around our franchise because of Phee, and the injury and maybe her not necessarily coming out and saying “I’m definitely here, I want to do this and I’m going to be there for x number of years” and so that’s Phee’s journey, that’s her free agency journey and how she viewed it and what she wanted was to take a step back… I would use the word cautious; I think she’s being cautious and that’s her decision."
The worry grew right before the Aug. 2 WNBA trade deadline when ESPN's Alexa Phillipou reported that Collier was "a player a lot of people were interested in." This led fans to believe the Phee era in Minnesota might be ending sooner than we thought. Now, of course, no trade was made and Collier will finish out the season with the Lynx, and they are serious contenders to win it all.
Could Phee's 2027 plans be relying on whether or not the Lynx win a championship? Is she ready to move on? Only time will tell, but for now, the chances of Collier being in different colors next season might be the highest they've ever been. Let's take a look at a couple of teams that could lure her out of Minny.
Dallas Wings
The Dallas Wings have serious potential and are capitalizing on that potential fast. Paige Bueckers has quickly taken the league by storm, averaging 20.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game and helping lead the Wings to a postseason appearance in just her second year. This past offseason, Dallas drafted Azzi Fudd. She averaged 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game before being ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Those two former Huskies could be enticing teammates for Collier, but Jessica Shepard could be the most persuasive. Shepard and Collier were both drafted to Minnesota in 2019 and played together through the 2025 season. Shepard has taken quite the leap in production since signing with Dallas — nearly doubling her average points per game. This new success has made her a better playmaker and finisher. If Collier was looking to reunite with a better version of Shepard while also teaming up with two of the brightest young stars that the W has to offer, Dallas could be for her.
Golden State Valkyries
Speaking of former UConn Huskies, Gabby Williams and Collier played together for three years, including during the Huskies' 2016 championship run. They, alongside Katie Lou Samuelson, became quite the dynamic group during the next season. Williams and Collier combined for an average of 34.7 points, 17.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 4.4 steals per game.
If Collier is looking to sign with a team that's on the brink of a championship, Golden State would be the best option. They already have some other incredible pieces, like Janelle Salaün and Veronica Burton. Adding Collier, who won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, would only make the Valks No.1 ranked defense that much scarier. Golden State has run into the issue of their offensive production not keeping up with their defensive dominance; Collier is a player who brings both.
What keeps Collier in Minnesota?
Now, I know I said that the chances of Collier leaving Minnesota have never been higher, but the chances of her sticking around in Minnesota are still very high. The Lynx have something absolutely no other WNBA team can offer right now, and that's rookie Olivia Miles. Collier has spoken highly of Miles since the moment she landed in Minnesota. Per Andrew Dukowitz, Collier expressed her anticipation of play with Miles: "I’m super excited; Liv’s court vision and her passing ability is really amazing. I’ve never played with a player like that before. So it’s been fun to watch her, like, even get better in the past couple weeks..."
Miles has expressed the same gratitude for sharing a court with Collier: "She’s just an incredible vet. I wouldn’t want to learn from anyone else..." The team chemistry between Miles and all of her new teammates, including Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams, seems to be the best in the league. Their shot at winning a ring is incredibly high, but if it doesn't happen this year, I wouldn't necessarily say that means Collier will take her talents elsewhere. She is still the ultimate leader of this Lynx squad and there's a world where she sticks around to see what else the Miles era brings.
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