Napheesa Collier is widely respected in WNBA circles for her tenacity, strength and otherworldly prowess on the basketball court. Collier is a competitor who will do whatever it takes to help the Minnesota Lynx succeed, but it’s not just her love for the game that propels her. It’s now deeper than that.
Collier is a mom who proudly gushed over her little girl, Mila.
“I see her learning something new, and to have her in my life, I feel like it gives me purpose,” she told For The Win in a recent interview while promoting her partnership with U.S. Bank, the WNBA’s official bank partner. Collier is on a mission to make financial education resources readily available for the league’s athletes, and it’s particularly important to her as she builds an off-the-court legacy.
“Learning about what to do with your finances and how to create generational wealth, even just the basics, is important. I feel like [U.S. Bank] is a changemaker for a reason because they’re not just giving us money and saying, ‘We’re partnering with the [WNBA].’ They’re trying to help us and make a change.”
Collier gave birth to Mila in 2021 and amazingly returned to the court in 2022 to help with the Lynx’s playoff push. However, it’s the 2023 season that makes her genuinely phenomenal. Not only was Collier arguably better on the court, but her accolades proved it. She was a WNBA All-Star and earned WNBA All-First Team and WNBA All-Defensive Second Team honors.
Napheesa Collier is having her BEST season EVER after having her daughter #ThatsaW pic.twitter.com/LW3zJju00P
— espnW (@espnW) September 17, 2023
That kind of growth doesn’t just happen. Yet, for Collier, it made perfect sense in a season of her life that perhaps challenged her in ways she hadn’t been before.
“I think what I learned about myself is that this is the hardest job I’ve ever had, but it’s so rewarding,” she said. “It’s the most amazing job in the world. I feel like I have a purpose in my family and my daughter. I feel like a different person than I was before I had her.”
The WNBA Presents Motherhood featuring Napheesa Collier @PHEEsespieces vlogged her pregnancy journey and shares with us her path to making a return to the W
Watch the full episode on https://t.co/VdfNvCU3Wi and YouTube pic.twitter.com/gGlqHr8ipP
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 4, 2022
Perhaps the most underrated part of Collier’s journey is that she doesn’t usually stop to give herself props for what she does. However, she says that little “Phee” would be so proud of all the things that this version of Napheesa has accomplished.
From a difficult birth to a tough rehab, Collier pushed herself to make it happen. Help from friends and family — like WNBA veteran Candace Parker and her support system in Minnesota — got her to where she is now, getting the flowers she rightfully deserves.
With her recent recognition on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, Collier is quickly skyrocketing to a status that makes her synonymous with greatness. Her story is still being written, but adding a chapter like “Face of the WNBA” to her life’s book is just the beginning of what she wants for herself.
“There are a lot of things I still want to accomplish in my career — winning a championship is one of them,” she said. “I also want to be MVP.”
(Sarah Gordon/AP Photos)
With her impressive drive, and while fully clad in the comfiest lifestyle fashion Nike has to offer, it’s hard to imagine that Napheesa Collier won’t do everything she can to get there.
