The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Patiently waiting
Collier forced to sit while WNBA season remains on hold
Friday was supposed to mark the start of year No. 2 for Napheesa Collier in a Minnesota Lynx uniform.
Unfortunately, plans changed.
Instead, Collier was home in St. Charles, Missouri, chatting with reporters on Zoom. The WNBA remains on hold, its season in limbo due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s really disappointing,” Collier said. “I was really looking forward to obviously my second year in the league, just playing in general. This is what we all love to do. I was really excited for this year. We have a lot of new people, I’m excited to get to know them and play with them. With everything going on, it’s just not safe or feasible for us to do that right now.”
While she waits, Collier — the UConn product and reigning Rookie of the Year — has had to train by her
self. Fortunately, the local church is equipped with a gym where she goes most mornings to practice her shot. And Chuck Barta, Minnesota’s head athletic trainer, sends her daily at-home workouts, as well.
Regular Zoom meetings have helped Collier stay connected with coaches and teammates, including second-round pick Crystal Dangerfield, whom she played alongside for three years in college.
“And then I pretty much play Monopoly or watch
TV,” Collier said with a smile.
The WNBA held its draft on April 17, and commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said the league has brainstormed multiple plans to safely hold games, with or without fans. But for the Lynx, who were scheduled to open at Chicago on Friday, and the 11 other teams, much remains uncertain.
“It’s been hard,” Collier said. “Without a real start date, it’s kind of hard to have a firm goal to work toward. But our coaches have been doing a great job. We have Zoom meetings, just making sure
we’re keeping up with our workouts and doing what we need to do when and if we get called.
“I’m just working out as if I need to be in training camp in a week.”
The 6-foot-2 forward barely missed a beat in her first year as a pro, averaging 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals after being drafted sixth overall. She shot 36.1 percent on 3-pointers and 49 percent overall. She made the All-Star team and was the fifth UConn alum to be voted the league’s top rookie, following Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore, Tina Charles and
Diana Taurasi.
As long as the proper health and safety precautions are taken, Collier, 23, wants to play. If, and when, players are given the green light, Collier believes they’ll need at least a twoweek training camp.
“Even though we’re training at home, it’s nothing like being in basketball shape,” she said. “There’s no way to do that unless you’re playing. So if they just throw us into games, you’re going to have a lot of injuries and things like that.”