WNBA star Napheesa Collier will not play in this year’s Unrivaled season and may miss the beginning of the 2026 WNBA season depending on how her rehab progresses after doctors determined she needs surgery to address problems in both of her ankles.
It was announced late last week that Collier, who co-founded Unrivaled alongside Breanna Stewart, will not play in the 3-on-3 league’s second season because she’s facing the need for double surgery and an extensive rehab period.
“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 my Owls and was devastated to be told by my team of doctors that surgery was the best path forward,” said Collier, who plays for the Lunar Owls BC in Unrivaled. “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.”
Ankle Problems Plague Collier
Collier has been dealing with ankle problems for a while now, but the problem came to a head last year. On August 2, she sprained her right ankle on a fastbreak in a game where her team was already up 43 points. She missed the next three weeks, and also ended up losing out on the league MVP award, which she was favored to win at the time of her injury.
Later that year, Collier tore three ligaments in her left ankle and a muscle in her left shin during a collision in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals. She had to watch from the sidelines as her team, which set the record for single-season wins, was eliminated from the playoffs in Game 4.
Collier tried hard to rehab without surgery, even telling reporters in mid-December that she wouldn’t need a corrective procedure. However, doctors eventually determined that the optimal route for her long-term health was to undergo corrective surgery.
Collier may have some extra time to recover this offseason, as the WNBA and the Player’s Association failed to reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, which had a deadline of January 9. Nobody knows for certain how – or if – the 2026 season will play out, but if it is delayed or cancelled, Collier may have more time to rehab, even if she’d rather miss time because a new agreement had been reached.
We’ll keep tabs on her surgery and recovery, as well as whether or not an agreement between the league and its players is formed. The WNBA has grown significantly in recent years, and it would be a shame to see all that progress halted because a deal couldn’t be reached. We wish Collier all the best on her surgery and recovery.
If you or someone you know is dealing with an ankle injury that warrants professional intervention, connect with Dr. Silverman. You can reach out to his office by clicking here.