Napheesa Collier

Early life

When Collier wanted to play basketball, the only AAU team in Jefferson City would not let her try out because the team was full, so her parents started a new team, the Lady Warriors, which went on to compete in the national AAU tournament. Collier met fellow Jefferson City native Maya Moore and watched her play at UConn and for the Lynx. In her freshman year at Jefferson City High School, Collier averaged 17.9 points and 9.8 rebounds.

She transferred to Incarnate Word Academy for her sophomore year, averaging 24.6 points and 12 rebounds, after her family moved to St. Louis due to her mother's job transfer. Collier also competed on her high school track team. She was the 2013 and 2015 Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year, a finalist for the 2015 Naismith Award, and a WBCA High School All-American.

College career

Collier initially planned to play for a team that could beat UConn, but after visiting the campus and seeing the camaraderie among players, she chose UConn for her freshman year in 2015. She finished her college career ranked 3rd all-time in scoring, 4th in rebounds, and 7th in blocks at UConn. She had 112 consecutive starts, 49 career double-doubles, and averaged a double-double (20.8/10.8) her senior season. Collier became the fifth player in the 2000/1000 club at UConn, joining Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Breanna Stewart, and Rebecca Lobo.

She reached 1000 rebounds against Louisville and 2000 points against Cincinnati. She was a member of the 2016 national champion team and reached the Final Four each year.

She received the Katrina McClain Award for Power Forward of the Year and was an AP 1st Team All-American twice. Collier holds the UConn single-season record for rebounds (411) and ranks second in points (792). As a duo, she and Katie Lou Samuelson scored the most points in UConn WBB history.

Professional career

Collier was drafted 6th overall by the Minnesota Lynx in 2019. In her first WNBA game, she scored 27 points against the Chicago Sky, the second-highest debut for any rookie. She led the league in minutes per game (33.3). She became the second rookie to record 400 points, 200 rebounds, and 60 steals, and the fourth player to have a season with 400 points, 200 rebounds, 75 assists, 50 steals, 25 blocks, and 25 made three-pointers.

She was voted to the All-Rookie Team and made the All-Star team as an injury replacement. She averaged 13.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks, shooting 49.0% from the field, 36.1% from three, and 79.2% from the free throw line, and was named Rookie of the Year by ESPNW, the Associated Press, and the WNBA. In the 2020 bubble, she started a podcast with A'ja Wilson and was selected to the All-WNBA Second Team and All-Defensive Second Team.

She made her second All-Star game. After maternity leave in 2022, she returned to play four games with Sylvia Fowles. In 2023, she had an MVP-caliber season as team captain, becoming the second player in WNBA history with a stat line of 30+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 5+ blocks. She made her third All-Star appearance, was named to the All-WNBA First Team, and the All-Defensive Second Team for the second time, and was named to the Minnesota Lynx All-25 Team.

Personal life

Collier enjoys reading mystery novels by Ruth Ware. She became engaged to basketball skills coach Alex Bazzell in October 2019. In November 2021, they announced her pregnancy, and their daughter Mila Sarah Bazzell was born on May 25, 2022. Collier and Bazzell married on October 7, 2022, in St. Louis.

On October 4, 2024, a video showed Collier using ASL with a fan; she learned sign language while growing up. Her grandfather, Gershon Collier, was a Sierra Leone Creole lawyer, former ambassador to the UN and the US, and briefly chief justice of Sierra Leone. Her father, Gamal Collier, was briefly a professional boxer and helps care for his granddaughter during the WNBA season. Her younger brother Kai played football at Lindenwood University.

Did You Know?

• She is the fifth player in UConn's 2000/1000 club, joining Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Breanna Stewart, and Rebecca Lobo.
• In her first WNBA game, Collier scored 27 points, the second-highest debut ever for a rookie after Candace Parker.
• On June 14, 2024, she became the first WNBA player to record 30+ points, 8+ steals, 5+ rebounds, and 2+ blocks in a single game.
• Collier outrebounded the entire Las Vegas Aces team by herself on August 23, 2024, grabbing 18 rebounds to their 17.