Napheesa Collier Announces Pregnancy

The Minnesota Lynx star forward, Napheesa Collier, announced some very exciting news today via People Magazine:

Napheesa Collier: “I am very excited to start a family with my fiancé Alex. Having a child is truly a beautiful journey and I am grateful to have the support of our families, friends and the Lynx as I begin this special chapter of motherhood.”

Cheryl Reeve: “On behalf of Lynx players, coaches and staff, I want to share our heartfelt congratulations to Napheesa, Alex and their families. We are eager to support Phee through this exciting journey and look forward to welcoming the newest addition to our Lynx family. Being a parent is an exceptional joy and we wish Phee a healthy pregnancy.”

We here at Canis Hoopus are extremely ecstatic for the young couple and congratulate them! They are very well known in both WNBA and NBA circles, so I am sure we will be seeing/hearing cheers for them via all social media outlets. Collier, as we know, is the franchise cornerstone of a dominant Lynx organization. Meanwhile, Bazzell is a respected basketball skills trainer who has helped hone the skills of 2022 WNBA champs Candace Parker and Diamond DeShields, as well as NBA stars like Kyrie Irving and Trae Young, among many others. A power couple who will likely raise a future WNBA superstar.

With Phee expecting the arrival of their child in May 2022, it seems all but guaranteed that the Lynx will be without their two-time all-star to start the season yet again. How long she will be out is the real question. Minnesota limped out of the gates last season, going 0-3 before Phee (and eventually Layshia Clarendon), who returned to the team after completing her season abroad, helped the Lynx finish the season winning 22 of their last 29 games. One lone person cannot simply fill the void of what Collier does on the court, so Coach Reeve will have her hands full in order to avoid the same disastrous start of last season.

If you take a look at a few players who returned from child birth, we have longtime Lynx rival Candace Parker, former Lynx guard Odyssey Sims, and gold medalist Skylar Diggins-Smith. In 2009, CP3 returned after 1.5 months to practice with the team. During the 2020 Wubble season, Sims returned to the team just 4 months later. Diggins-Smith miraculously played the majority of the 2018 season pregnant before opting out the entire 2019 season. All that to say: It can vary. It will be really interesting to see what her timeline will be like, but hopefully she takes the time to make sure her (and her family’s) health is 100% before she comes back to the game.

Lynx Overseas Update:

As our Jack Borman has been keeping us up to date with three of Minnesota’s other players overseas, here is a quick update on their games from a few weeks ago:

Bridget Carleton
A.S. Ramat Hasharon 79, Bnot Hertzeliya 69
36:50 minutes: 21 points (7-16 FG, 4-7 3FG, 3-3 FT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers, +1

Kayla McBride
Fenerbahçe 72, Mersin 59
35:58 minutes: 15 points (4-13 FG, 2-6 3FG, 5-5 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 assists

Jessica Shepard
Dinamo Sassari 88, Akronos Moncalieri 74
36:49 minutes: 32 points (11-21 FG, 1-2 3FG, 9-13 FT), 13 rebounds, 1 assists, 4 steals, 4 turnovers, +8

We’ll be sure to keep you all updated with more coverage of all things Lynx. Until then, be well and continue supporting women’s sports!