The Minnesota Lynx are expected to be without one of their biggest stars for at least part of August.
Napheesa Collier will miss at least two weeks due to a right ankle sprain she suffered on Saturday during a game against the Las Vegas Aces, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported.
The Lynx have a league-best 24-5 record and are now entering a crucial stretch of the season without the reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and MVP favorite.
Collier will be re-evaluated in two weeks, which would put that around Aug. 18, according to Andrews, ruling her out for at least four games, which includes two against the defending champion Liberty.
She suffered the injury during the third quarter on Saturday night with the Lynx leading by more than 40 points.
Collier was going up for an offensive rebound when she rolled her ankle and then struggled to walk off the court toward the team locker room and needed help from the team training staff.
Collier has been on a tear this season, earning Western Conference Player of the Month for a third consecutive month on Monday.
She’s averaging 23.5 points per game this season and her 7.5 rebounds are ninth in the WNBA and her 1.6 steals and blocks are both fourth in the league.
While Collier avoided a serious injury, the injury and absence come at a time when things really start to ratchet up in the WNBA.
The regular season comes to an end on Sept. 11 and the Lynx are hoping to hold onto the best mark in the league and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
It could jeopardize Collier’s MVP push as well, with her missing several high-profile games due to the injury.
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