How many teams can say that they don’t need an MVP-level player on their team? Well, the Minnesota Lynx can. Everything is clicking for the Lynx right now. They are at the top of the league. Their draft pick is on the way to win the ROTY. And they are doing it all without Napheesa Collier.

Napheesa Collier suffered an injury to her left ankle during the 2025 playoffs. Then she underwent surgery in January to fix lingering issues in her right ankle. She had another ankle surgery in March this year. This means that she has not featured in the Lynx team till now. Trysta Krick has made some comments regarding this that capture the bragging mood of the Lynx fanbase right now.

” I think you know, the thing that tells you everything that you need to know about them is like the first initial timetable for Napheesa’s return was like late May,” Krick said on the Good Fellows Podcast. “Yeah, and then it was like early June, and now there’s no timetable, and I think they’re like f**k it. We don’t need to rush her back…”

“We are the number one team in the league right now. Yes, we lost to the Aces, but hey, no, nothing like it was a close game. We can wait till after the All-Star break for Napheesa Collier. If we choose and we still have a lot of wiggle room, why rush it? So I think that’s a good piece to understand,” she added.

And Krick is probably right. They can choose as to when and how they integrate Collier back into the team. They are already leading the league in several categories. They are in no need to rush her back.

The Lynx have the best defensive (98.5) and offensive ratings (115.0) in the league right now, as per Statmuse. They are 9-1 in the last ten matches. They are leading the league in points per game at 93.1 and rebounds per game (37.4). Their field goal percentage is also the highest at 50.8%, and they are second in steals per game.

And they are dominant in the games they are winning. They are second in true shooting percentage (59.8%) and second in offensive rebounds (35.7%), as per Databallr.

Olivia Miles is putting up record numbers of her own. She is now averaging 19 PTS, 5.7 AST, 4.9 REB, and 1.4 REB per match. She has an incredible 56.6 FG% and is shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc. She leads the Lynx team in scoring and assists.

The Lynx are trusting the rookie to run their offense. She has distinguished herself as a visionary passer of the ball. She finds teammates in tight spaces and enables them to score as well. Natasha Howard and Courtney Williams are back playing at their natural positions and are putting up good numbers as well.

The Lynx must Remain Cautious

Napheesa Collier put up 22.9 PTS, 7.3 REB, 3.2 AST, 1.6 STL, and 1.5 BLK per game last season. She narrowly missed out on the MVP, finishing only second behind A’ja Wilson. An injury in the playoffs ended her season and the Lynx’s as well.

So it was expected that the Lynx would not be in an ideal situation come this season. But nobody expected them to be this good.

However, we have seen time and again that a deep playoff run requires squad depth. The Lynx will need Collier back at her best, come the end of the season. We are still only 15 games into a 44-game season.

So while it’s more than ideal that other players have stepped up, coach Cheryl Reeves will have an uphill task in reintegrating Collier into this team. A team that is already winning without her.

Only time will tell how good a season it turns out to be for the Lynx.