Former UConn star Collier to make Olympic debut
Napheesa Collier is an All-American, a National Champion, a first-round draft pick, a WNBA AllStar and a WNBA Rookie of the Year.
And as of Monday morning, the former UConn forward is officially an Olympian.
Collier was among the 12 players named to the 2020 U.S. Women’s Basketball
Olympic Team, which features four other former UConn standouts and five other players making their Olympic debut this summer in Tokyo.
“I’ve watched the Olympics since I can remember and so to think that one day I’d be on that team, it’s just been, I mean, a dream,” Collier said during Monday’s press conference. “I’ve been doing USA (Basket
ball) since 2013 and so even before that this is all I could think about, making the Olympics one day. It’s obviously a huge goal, so to say that I’m here is just crazy.”
The 6-foot-1 O’Fallon, Missouri native started training with the national team in 2018 and was originally selected to the U.S. 3x3 team roster in February of 2020. However, Collier was replaced on the roster by former UConn teammate Katie Lou Samuelson in March and remained in the pool of candidates for the national team.
Former Huskies Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart and Tina Charles join Collier on the national team. During her Husky career, Collier overlapped her freshman year with Stewarts’ senior year, helping UConn win its most recent national championship in 2016.
“It’s awesome to see how many UConn players are on the team and how many have been a part of USA basketball,” she said. “I think it’s a huge tip of the hat to obviously the staff at UConn, Coach (Geno Auriemma) and CD (Chris Dailey) and everyone that was there. They’ve obviously done a great job in making future Olympians, so I’m really honored to be part of that legacy and it’s cool to be surrounded by my Huskies.”
Collier has played for the junior national team since 2014 and owns a 49-1 overall record playing in USA Basketball games. She’s helped the U.S. win gold at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, the 2015 FIBA U19 World Cup and the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup.
“There’s no secret sauce to it,” Bird said about first-time Olympic selections. “They’re here for a reason. First and foremost, I think you always want to remind players of that. Sometimes when we put on that jersey and we step onto the floor against other teams, there can be a little bit of an intimidating factor to it. So you just want to remind players, they’re on this team for a reason.”
After getting drafted by Minnesota with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Collier has spent the past three WNBA seasons with the Lynx.
This season, she leads Minnesota with an average of 17.7 points per game in 33.9 minutes per game.
In Tokyo, she will be joined by current Lynx teammate Slyvia Fowles. Fowles has won three-straight Olympic gold medals with Team USA and is in her 13th WNBA season. On Monday, she told reporters she’s already been giving Collier advice on playing in the Olympics.
“Just making sure she soaks up the moment and has fun and then competing at the highest level with some of the greatest athletes,” Fowles said. “Phe has evolved in many ways. We never considered Phe as a rookie, so to see her at this point where she is now three years in is phenomenal.”
The U.S will be looking to win its seventh-straight gold medal during the Games with its split roster of six veterans and six first-time Olympians.
“It’s really cool because we have the six younger players and we get to learn from the people who have been there time and time again, especially people like Sly, like Sue and D (Taurasi) who have gone to so many Olympics and are such legends in the league,” Collier said. “Obviously, throughout the year we play against them, so I know how good they are, so to have them on my team is going to be a nice break …. Teams are really really good, so I think we’re going to have a lot of good games and I’m excited to go into that with my team.”
While the Olympics will be a different experience for this year’s athletes instead of year’s past due to COVID-19 restrictions, Collier said she’s looking forward to playing with the veteran Olympians on the U.S. team, along with meeting other athletes and exploring the Japanese culture.
“I mean what am I not looking forward to. It’s my first time so just everything,” she said. “It would be really cool to see the Olympic village, I don’t know if we’re going to have it this year with COVID but just to be around all the amazing athletes, the best of the best in the entire world, being able to see those in person and then obviously being on the actual Olympic team. Like I said, it’s been a dream ever since I can remember. So, I’m literally looking forward to every single part of this experience.”