Napheesa Collier will miss the second season of the 3×3 league she co-founded as surgery on both ankles will sideline Unrivaled’s reigning MVP and 1v1 tournament champion for four to six months.
At Unrivaled’s media day in mid-December, Collier, once again captain of the Lunar Owls, indicated that she expected to be on the field for the start of the season, expressing confidence in her rehabilitation process even though she was “I’m still working to get back to 100 percent.”
But after further evaluations by medical professionals, it was determined that Collier’s recovery from his ankle injuries had not progressed as much as needed and would require surgery on both ankles. Collier sprained his right ankle on August 2 during the Minnesota Lynx’s historic victory over the Las Vegas Aces. During Game 3 of the WNBA Semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury, she tore three ligaments in her left ankle, causing her to miss the Lynx’s decisive Game 4 loss.
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Coal shared a message on Instagram which says:
I am heartbroken to share that I will miss this unrivaled season. I fought hard over the past few months to get my owls back and was devastated to learn from my team of doctors that surgery was the best path forward.
I will continue to encourage my teammates every step of the way and continue to work tirelessly with the rest of the players and our staff to advance our sport and raise the bar for women’s basketball. I’ll be back at full strength as soon as possible and ready to continue where I left off, but for now, it still is and always will be…HootieHoooooo!
Collier is the second star to miss Unrivaled’s second season, as Phantom member Satou Sabally is indefinitely due to lingering symptoms from the concussion she suffered during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals with the Mercury.
Temi Fagbenle, who plays for the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA, will replace Collier on the Lunar Owls roster.
