Napheesa Collier signed a one-year contract extension with the Minnesota Lynx in 2026. Now, the No. 1-seeded Lynx have seen a bitter and early exit from the playoffs, and questions about Collier's future still loom over head coach Cheryl Reeve.

"Phee knows exactly what exists here," coach Reeve said in the playoff exit interview as reported by Andrew Dukowitz on X on October 2, 2026.

"Phee knows the care, the love, all the things that’s been poured into her. She’s well aware of all that; this is a Phee decision that is probably more than basketball."

Reeve remained cryptic about Collier's decision, as seen in the video posted by Andrew Dukowitz on X. The coach has led the franchise to four championships since joining in 2010.

The last time the Lynx made it to the finals was in 2024 when they were defeated by the same team that eliminated them in the first round this season, the New York Liberty.

Napheesa Collier has seen it all. She started her professional WNBA journey with the Lynx after being drafted sixth overall in 2019.

Since then, she's become an integral part of the team, even becoming a five-time WNBA All-Star and the All-Star Game MVP in 2025.

Coach Reeve addressed her long tenure with the Minnesota Lynx in the exit interview. "She just finished year eight, 30 years old," she told the press.

"Sometimes you stay and 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."

In the same interview, Napheesa Collier also spoke her mind about her future in the WNBA.

What Napheesa Collier said about her next move

Napheesa Collier is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 after her one-year extension with the Lynx ends. In the 2026 regular season, she had a 16.8 PPG average.

Her last two games against the New York Liberty have been rough. She contributed 12 points in game one and 14 in game two. The Lynx lost both and were eliminated from the playoffs by the No. 8 seed.

"I haven't even thought about that. We lost less than 48 hours ago, and I don't think, we didn't expect to be here, you know. So I really haven't had any time to decompress or anything like that." She said later, as per Colin Salao of Front Office Sports.

"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 it any thought."

Fresh off the difficult loss, it's likely too soon for Collier to decide what to do next. As the Lynx head into the 2026 off-season, perhaps her future will become clearer.

Written by

Prit Chauhan