Minnesota Lynx injury update : The Minnesota Lynx are facing a tough road ahead in their 2025 WNBA semifinal series against the Phoenix Mercury, as star forward Napheesa Collier has been officially ruled out of Game 4 due to a left ankle injury sustained late in the high-stakes Game 3 matchup. This injury, combined with the suspension of head coach Cheryl Reeve, significantly impacts the Lynx’s chances as they try to avoid elimination and force a decisive Game 5 back home.
The Injury Incident and Its Impact
The ankle injury occurred in the final moments of Game 3, which took place on Friday night in Phoenix. With less than 30 seconds remaining, Collier drove towards the basket and was abruptly met by Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, who cleanly stole the ball but made incidental contact with Collier’s left ankle. The collision caused Collier to twist her ankle painfully as she landed, forcing her to leave the court immediately with visible distress. The play was ruled a clean steal, and no foul was called on Thomas, sparking intense reactions.
- onto the court and confronting the officials. Her emotions spilled over in a postgame
- tirade where she criticized the refereeing harshly, leading to her ejection from
- Game 3 and a subsequent suspension for Game 4
- and did not return to the game, which the Mercury won 84-76, putting them ahead 2-1 in the best-of-five series.
Collier’s Role and Season Performance
- Napheesa Collier has been the cornerstone for the Lynx this season and the playoffs
- averaging 20.6 points per game in the postseason and emerging as both their top scorer
- and rebounder. She had already missed seven games earlier in the season due to a right
- ankle sprain but returned to lead her team to the top seed in the playoffs with some
- of the best shooting splits in WNBA history — joining the exclusive 50/40/90 club
- (shooting over 50% from the field, 40% from three-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line).
- Her injury could not come at a worse time for Minnesota, as she has been the lynchpin
- in both offense and defense, tasked with guarding Alyssa Thomas, who is also a key
- figure in this series. Collier’s absence leaves a significant void that the Lynx
- will struggle to fill as they face the possibility of elimination.
Game 4 and Team Challenges
Game 4, scheduled for Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, will see the Lynx without their star player and head coach, Cheryl Reeve. The Lynx will need to rally together and find new ways to compete against a Phoenix Mercury team that gained momentum with their recent win.
The Mercury, energized by Alyssa Thomas’s strong play and crucial contributions from players like DeWanna Bonner, who scored 11 points in the fourth quarter of Game 4, are favored to close out the series at home. BetMGM lists the Mercury as -185 favorites to win Game 4 following Collier’s confirmed absence.
Controversies and Reactions
- The incident involving Collier’s injury and Cheryl Reeve’s postgame outburst has sparked
- considerable debate across the league and fan communities. The no-call on Alyssa
- was clean. Meanwhile, Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts expressed sympathy for
- Collier but strongly defended his player’s actions, dispelling any
- suggestions that Thomas’s play was intentional or dirty.
