Napheesa Collier will have surgery on both ankles and be sidelined for four to six months

MIAMI (AP) — Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier will have surgery on both ankles and is expected to be sidelined four to six months, including the upcoming Unrivaled season, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league announced Thursday.

Collier had been rehabbing ankle injuries suffered during the WNBA season but said last month that she was working back to full strength so she could be available for Unrivaled’s second season, which begins Monday.

“I am heartbroken to share that I will miss this Unrivaled season,” Collier said in a statement on Instagram. “I have fought hard over the last few months to be back with my (Lunar) Owls and was devastated to be told by my team of doctors that surgery was the best path forward.”

The 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year suffered a sprained right ankle during an August game against the Las Vegas Aces and missed several weeks. She then hurt her left ankle in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury.

Unrivaled, which Collier co-founded with fellow WNBA star Breanna Stewart, said a “joint team of medical staff” determined that surgery on both ankles would be needed for Collier, named the 3-on-3 league’s MVP last season.

“I will still be cheering on my teammates every step of the way,” Collier said in the statement, “and I will continue to work relentlessly to push our sport forward and raise the bar for women’s basketball. I will be back at full strength as soon as possible and ready to continue where I left off.”

Temi Fágbénlé will take Collier’s spot on the Lunar Owls for the 2026 season.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball