MINNEAPOLIS — In arguably the most popular song ever written about the concept of waiting — ‘The Waiting’ by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — every day, seeing just one more card is one of several elements that makes waiting the hardest part. For Minnesota Lynx fans, that translates to more than 300 cards to demonstrate how long they’ve waited to watch Napheesa Collier play on the Target Center floor again.
Fans across the state of Minnesota had memories and faith to help them while they waited to hear Collier’s name again. It was last announced in the Lynx’s starting lineup in front of the home crowd in Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoff Semifinals, 308 days ago.
The hope and memories carried Collier too, and brought her tremendous gratitude.
“I would just say thank you,” Collier said before Tuesday’s game, when asked what she would say to Lynx fans before she finally made her 2026 home court debut.
“Obviously, this has been such a long journey, but the way that they’ve supported me through it all, I’m just so thankful,” she continued. “There’s a reason why I say we have the best fans in the world. We really do. They support us through everything … Seeing the way they show up for every game, the way that they ride for us through thick and thin, it’s been really humbling and it’s amazing to see.”
Collier’s journey back to the floor was a challenging one, after two separate ankle surgeries spanned her winter, spring and roughly half of her summer. In addition to the 27 games she lost this season, the injuries also cost her the entire second season of Unrivaled. It was a cruel twist of fate that, when Collier was finally cleared to return to the W, it was for the final game before the WNBA All-Star break when the Lynx were on the road in Seattle. So, Lynx fans had to wait another full week to welcome the perennial MVP candidate back to the home floor.
During a time like this, Lynx fans could call on Petty’s sage advice: ‘don’t let it kill you, baby, don’t let it get to you.’
“It was great, it was exactly the energy I thought from fans who have waited a long time,” Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said after the game. “Really happy for Phee to hear just how happy everyone was and how much they care about her. This is home for Phee and this is what she deserved. She worked long and hard to get back.” She pours into this team. It was the welcome back that I hoped it would be from our fans.”
For the first time all season, Collier went through warmups on the Target Center floor, and the pregame crowd swelled to about double its normal size an hour before tipoff. Signs welcoming Collier back to the floor were peppered throughout the arena, and fresh pairs of her player-exclusive shoes with Jordan, the ‘Heir Series 2: Queen Phee’s,’ adorned several pairs of feet of lucky Lynx fans who were able to get their hands on the highly anticipated kicks.
By the time starting lineups came along, the Tuesday-night crowd of nearly 13,000 saved its loudest ovation for the return of their queen.
“It was everything that I’ve been dreaming of when I picture coming back,” Collier said during the postgame press conference, seated beside Olivia Miles. “Just being on the home court in front of the home crowd, it was so fun. The way that they’ve supported through this whole thing, we say for a reason why we have the best fans in the league, just how loud they are, the way they show up, and of course they didn’t disappoint tonight.”
Of course, the night would not have been everything Collier had pictured for nearly a year had the Lynx not come away with the win. The Lynx let Toronto hang around but won by a final score of 100-93, grabbing their eighth victory in a row. Collier provided 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting to go along with six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot in 25 total minutes on the floor.
When asked postgame about what she’s struggling with as she makes her return, Collier smiled and said ‘shot-making,’ through a laugh.
But negativity wasn’t on the mind. “It was so fun to be on the home court again and have these fans,” she added. “Like [Miles] said how loud they are, and to have this be my first home game since September it was just so fun. It was everything that I hoped it would be and it just feels good to be back on the court with my team and the home crowd, it was a fun night.”
Perhaps the most fun moment of the night — the no-look-through-the-legs pass in transition from Miles to Kayla McBride — did not go unnoticed by the captain, playing in her first home game with Minnesota’s slick-passing rookie.
“That was crazy,” Collier said of the play, as Miles laughed beside her. “I haven’t even seen the video yet, but just seeing that in real time, the stuff that Liv can do is just so fun, and Mac knocking it down, she was like that’s more pressure than even a game-winner. You have to hit that. This team is just so fun. To be able to see that, be part of that, and witness that in real time has just been really fun.”
It was the first of what Lynx fans hope to be many games to come featuring both Collier and Miles at Target Center. With the captain back to play alongside the star rookie, the next few months in Minnesota could be very promising.
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