WNBA Star Napheesa Collier To Miss Unrivaled Season To Undergo Surgery

Napheesa Collier's return to the Unrivaled court for the second season of the new league will have to wait. 

After continued rehab from WNBA season injuries and additional preseason evaluations, a joint medical team determined that the Lunar Owls BC star needs to have surgery on both ankles. This means Collier will be sidelined for four to six months as she focuses on a full recovery.  

The Unrivaled co-founder, along with Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, made four All-WNBA and five All-Start teams during her seven-year career in the league. Collier is also a prominent member of the WNBPA executive committee which is currently battling contract negotiations with the WNBA.

The league announced the news on Thursday morning that Collier, 29, is out for this Unrivaled season so she can have surgery on both ankles. She is expected to be sidelined for four to six months, a timeline that could impact her availability at the start of the 2026 WNBA season.

Collier sustained injuries on both ankles during the 2025 WNBA season. In August, she sprained her right ankle when the Lynx played the Las Vegas Aces. And then just weeks later in September, Collier tore three ligaments in her left ankle playing against the Phoenix Mercury.

On Thursday morning, Collier took to Instagram to share the sad news that she will be missing the Unrivaled season.

"I am heartbroken to share that I will miss this Unrivaled season. I have fought hard over the last few months to be back with the Owls and was devastated to be told by my team of doctors that surgery was the best path forward," she wrote. "I will still be cheering on my teammates every step of the way, and I will continue to work relentlessly with the rest of the players and our staff to push our sport forward and raise the bar for women's basketball."

She added that she plans to "be back at full strength as soon as possible and ready to continue where I left off."

Her news hit fans hard, and many of them left uplifting comments for Collier.

Comedian Wanda Sykes, an avid basketball fan, said, "Praying for a full and speedy recovery. HoootieHoo!" Another fan shared, "Can’t wait to see the bounce back. What a 2025 you had! Onto 2026." And one other said, "Rest, heal and enjoy family time. We’ll be waiting, Queen Phee!"

So, who will fill Collier's shoes on the court with the Lunar Owls this upcoming season?

Temi Fagbenle of the Golden State Valkyries will be taking Collier's spot for the 2026 Unrivaled season, which begins in just four days.

Fagbenle, a center for the Valkyries, was originally drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in 2016. She was the first British player to win a WNBA championship in her rookie season. After multiples seasons playing overseas and a short time with the Indiana Fever, Fagbenle was selected by the Valkyries during the 2024 expansion draft.

Two weeks ago, Sports Illustrated announced that Collier and Stewart have been awarded the Innovators of the Year award. The ceremony is set for Tuesday, Jan. 6, and will be held at Wynn Las Vegas for a second year.

"Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier changed the landscape of women’s basketball by co-founding the player-owned league Unrivaled. Congrats to Stewart and Collier on being named Innovators of the Year," Sports Illustrated shared on their Instagram page.

The Innovator of the Year award honors those pushing sports forward through bold ideas in performance, business, or technology. In January 2025, Collier and Stewart did exactly that when they launched the new professional women's basketball league, Unrivaled.

Fans shared their excitement in the comment section of SI's Instagram post.

"The dynamic duo!," one person wrote. Another added, "So well deserved! Unrivaled is literally changing the game." One other fan wrote, "Congratulations Ladies!! Y’all Are Doing A Phenomenal Job This League Is A Brilliant Idea."

The first season of Unrivaled saw many major sponsors joining forces with the new league, including Sephora, Wilson Sporting Goods Co., Samsung Galaxy, Under Armour, Miller Lite, Ticketmaster, State Farm, TNT Sports, Ally Financial, and Mediapro North America.

New to Unrivaled this year is Cheez-It, named official salty snack partner of Unrivaled. According to a press release sent to The Blast, Cheez-It will "debut and serve as presenting partner of a new content series that will highlight players' distinct basketball journeys and the uniqueness they bring to the game," and will appear via a sideline logo.

"We're thrilled to partner with a brand like Cheez-It that always keeps it real and is eager to amplify the unique culture that defines Unrivaled basketball," said Alex Bazzell, Unrivaled President, according to a press release. "From the sidelines to the stories of our athletes, this partnership will celebrate the distinctiveness that ties together the identities of Unrivaled and Cheez-It."

Season 2 of Unrivaled tips off on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at Sephora Arena in Miami and will be televised on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max. For more information and to keep up on all the Unrivaled excitement, visit the website and follow on Instagram.