MINNEAPOLIS — The conference room known as the ‘Coaches Classroom’ at the Minnesota Lynx and Timberwolves practice facility in downtown Minneapolis did not lack for feelings on exit interview day 48 hours after the Lynx were eliminated from the 2026 WNBA playoffs at the hands of the New York Liberty. The same room as one year ago when Napheesa Collier gave her now infamous “scorched earth” statement criticizing WNBA leadership in the wake of Minnesota’s heartbreaking playoff exit, and Collier’s ankle injury in Game 3 of the semis, which would eventually require surgery.
The fiery rage of last year was replaced by more of an exhausted frustration. Credit was given to the New York Liberty and their twin pillars of MVPs in their frontcourt Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. For much of the day, Minnesota’s trio of Collier, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams, as well as head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve, spent their time reflecting on the highs of how a group can win more games than any other team in the league over the past three seasons, and on the lows of not winning a championship in that time.
In his book on baseball and philosophy, Fail Better, Canadian philosopher Mark Kingwell wrote: “The most fair thing one can imagine, a controlled and regulated match between equal sides using the same rules, and the most unfair experience one can imagine. Say it again: you can do everything right and still fail. What could be more like life than that?”
The Lynx certainly didn’t do “everything right” in their brief spell in this year’s playoffs, but one could read into Kingwell’s words and determine winning 33 regular season games is deserving of a playoff matchup against anyone other than the New York Liberty, but, that’s life too. Life in one of the most competitive basketball leagues on the planet, at least.
The next part of life for the Lynx is to take the necessary time to process this latest disappointment, and assess all possible paths from the long and winding to the straight and narrow that may lead to that ever elusive fifth championship.
More than a big three: reprise
On the second day of Lynx training camp way back in April — long before Olivia Miles had dropped a single no-look pocket pass on a WNBA floor, before Reeve was officially in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, or on one knee chugging a Smirnoff Ice in celebration of breaking the all-time wins record, before Miles and Natasha Howard started in the All-Star game, before Collier’s return to the floor, before McBride broke the single-game 3s record, and long before Miles and Reeve were awarded Rookie and Coach of the Year respectively — Reeve was asked about the importance of bringing back the Lynx’s “big three.”
“Everything we do has a purpose towards building sustained success,” Reeve answered. “That’s not making any panic moves and things like that … It is hard to have a team like we’ve had here the last two years. Our big three may not be, as compared to other big threes, other people might find sexier big threes out there, but our strength has been in the balance that we are so much more than a big three.”
Reading these words from Reeve on day 2 of training camp in the context of the full season paints a curious picture of the recent past and immediate future of the Lynx franchise. Anyone watching the final moments of Minnesota’s playoff elimination saw the emotional embrace of Collier, McBride and Williams at midcourt as the last few seconds of Minnesota’s 2026 season melted away.
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
Natural instinct is to project meaning onto the moment, but given Collier’s impending free agency, and the reality of hard roster decisions facing the Lynx over the winter, it’s impossible to look at it and wonder if that will be the lasting image of a group that engineered 97 regular season wins over three years, but not the title that’s eluded them.
McBride and Williams are both still under contract and heading into the offseason with designs of doing whatever it takes to bring the Lynx to the next level in mind.
“I live here now, so yeah,” McBride said when asked if a return to Minnesota was imminent. “I appreciate the question and the concern, but I still have a lot more to give between those four lines and I’m excited to do it.”
Williams echoed McBride’s commitment. The two guards with 24 seasons of WNBA service between them plan to chase a championship at least one more time in the city they currently call home.
“Yeah, man, I want one bad,” Williams said when asked about her hopes for lifting a trophy in Minnesota. “I ain’t got one. I’m going into Year 12 after this, so hopefully I can get me one before I get up out of here. Definitely want one with the Lynx because [this is] where I want to be.”
Reeve mentioned during her final postgame presser of 2026 that she’d be facing some ‘hard decisions’ as an executive this winter. Whether those focus on the margins of the roster or hint at something more groundbreaking remain to be seen, but Reeve is steadfast that Minnesota’s championship window is still wide open with its mixture of veterans and young talent.
“Of course there is,” Reeve said when asked on if there’s still a chance of winning a title with her current core. “Of course there is. They need more help, though. Our margins have got to be better and I’ve got to do more. The group that we have, I think we have a very talented starting group. We have a player in Nia Coffey who had a great season. That’s our starting point.”
The uncertainty that will loom over the Twin Cities for the next several months comes down to Collier. The multi-time MVP runner-up is an unrestricted free agent for the first time in her career. For eight seasons Collier has been one of the faces, if not the face, of the Lynx organization and she’ll be one of the biggest catches in a free agency cycle that includes Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell, Phoenix’s Kelsey Plum and Las Vegas’ Jackie Young.
Don’t hold your breath
Collier told the assembled media on Minnesota’s day of exit interviews that she ‘hasn’t given it any thought,’ when it comes to her forthcoming unrestricted free agency. Whether that’s true, or whether that’s changed in the days since doesn’t much matter. Collier has shown herself to be an astute and intentional player and businesswoman in her eight-year WNBA career. No matter what goes into her decision, it is not one Collier will make with haste.
“Honestly, I haven’t even thought about that,” Collier said. “We lost less than 48 hours ago and we didn’t expect to be here. I really haven’t had any time to decompress or anything like that. I can tell you I love it here. I love the organization. I love my team and everything like that, but I just haven’t had the time to give that any thought.”
‘Rare Gems’ is out now!
Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The IX Basketball and The IX Sports, wrote this deeply reported book. “Rare Gems” follows four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.
If you enjoy Megdal’s coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday at The IX Sports, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.”
Collier has more than just the matter of what team she’ll play for next season to think about this winter. There’s also the matter of getting fully healthy and back to her MVP contention form.
“Obviously, it wasn’t the level that I expect for myself,” she said. “I’m proud of the work that I put in to get to that point. My ultimate goal was to get back on the court and ultimately help my team win a championship. Obviously, we fell short of that, so that’s hard. But still, proud of what I was able to accomplish and more than anything proud of the team as well. This season was incredible despite the ending. Personally, from the support that they gave me, they were such a joy to be around the whole season. I just personally enjoyed and appreciated that so much. Obviously, I wasn’t 100% but I gave 100% of what I was able to.”
Collier has played in 209 games across eight seasons for the Lynx. Her exploits in a Minnesota uniform include the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award, three First-Team All-WNBA selections, and five All-Star appearances. She’s scored more points in franchise history than anyone not named Seimone Augustus or Maya Moore, and grabbed more rebounds in franchise history than anyone not named Sylvia Fowles or Rebekkah Brunson.
Every team in the league will undoubtedly be making a pitch of some kind to Collier over the next few months. Though the Lynx have essentially already made theirs over most of the last decade.
“Phee knows this,” Reeve said. “I’m not saying anything that’s not already been said to her. Phee knows exactly what exists here. Phee knows the care, the love, all the things that’s been poured into here. She’s well aware of all that. This is a Phee decision and that is probably more than basketball. Wherever she lands it’s going to be because she thinks whatever or whoever she chose is the right place for her. She just finished year eight, 30 years old. Sometimes you stay. Sometimes you go, because maybe there’s something, I don’t want to say better, but maybe better for her and that’s something that I respect.”
Your business can reach over 3 million women’s sports fans every single month!
Here at The IX Basketball and The IX Sports, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women’s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, reach out to our team at BAlarie@theixsports.com to discuss ways to work together.
“Phee and I, our conversations are just like that. Be honest with each other. She signed a one-year for a reason. It wasn’t a multi-year deal. Whatever she decides, we’re both going to be okay, and that’s something that I feel strongly about.”
Given that the Lynx have had to navigate long stretches without Collier, there’s certainly substance to Reeve’s words as ever. Over the last two seasons alone, the Lynx have gone 29-10 (7-4 in 2025; 22-6 in 2026) in games without Collier on the floor.
“What Phee has given this franchise, we’re super proud of,” Reeve said in conclusion. “And we’re super proud of the work that we poured into her. Who we’ve been while she’s been here, that’s all we can be. She knows what’s here. If she lands on being here, great. If there’s something better for her, that’s life.”
