Lynx star, Olympian Napheesa Collier injures foot

July 5 (UPI) — Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier sustained a left foot injury and was unable to return during a loss to the Connecticut Sun. The injury clouds her status for the WNBA All-Star game and Paris Olympics.

Collier was hurt in the third quarter of the 78-73 setback Thursday in Minneapolis. The All-Star forward totaled nine points, six rebounds, two blocks and two assists in 24:34 of action.

“Like any team losing their MVP candidate, it’s a little harder, but that’s sometimes what it is,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told reporters. “We try to focus on what we do have.”

The Lynx coach did not provide reporters with an update on the injury during her postgame news conference. Reeve also is the coach of Team USA, which will face the WNBA All-Stars in the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game on July 20 in Phoenix.

Collier is averaging the sixth-most points per game (20) in the WNBA. She also logged 10.2 rebounds per game, the fourth-most in the league, through her first 20 appearances this season. Her 2.2 steals per appearance are tied with Rhyne Howard for the second-most in the WNBA.

The Lynx (14-6) have the third-best record in the WNBA, trailing only the New York Liberty (17-3) and Sun (16-4). They will take on the Washington Mystics (5-16) at 8 p.m. EDT Saturday in Minneapolis.

The Team USA women will start Olympic play against Japan on July 29 in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. Collier won gold with Team USA at Tokyo 2020.