Reeve Reaffirms Collier as Lynx Leader While Olivia Miles Continues to Shine

Following a 90-85 win over the New York Liberty that kept the Minnesota Lynx (17-6) tied atop the WNBA standings, head coach Cheryl Reeve reiterated that forward Napheesa Collier remains the team’s unquestioned leader. The comment came as rookie guard Olivia Miles delivered a 23-point performance and became the fastest player in league history to reach 350 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists.

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Collier is recovering from dual offseason ankle surgeries and has recently resumed practice. Reeve said there is “no date” for her return, describing the situation as “trial and error” and noting that the player is “getting really close” to rejoining the lineup. The Lynx have five games left before the All-Star Game in Chicago on July 25, and Collier’s debut is expected sometime after the July 11 comment.

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Miles, a starter for the upcoming All-Star Game, has emerged as a leading rookie and a legitimate MVP candidate alongside teammate Natasha Howard. Her playmaking—23 points, five rebounds, four assists against New York—has drawn praise for “natural” tenacity and toughness. Reeve suggested that Miles’ presence as a point guard will benefit Collier when she returns, allowing the veteran to experience a “natural point guard” alongside a “superstar.”

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Reeve emphasized that the locker-room culture already recognizes Collier as “Phee’s team,” with veterans Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride publicly supporting the view. She cautioned against “anointing anyone other than [Collier] as the leader of this team.” Reeve also highlighted her own coaching milestone—most regular-season wins in WNBA history—while noting that the team’s cohesion and confidence are rising under the current leadership structure.

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• “You don't know what the game situations are going to bring, and so it's going to be a little bit of feeling it out, trial and error,” — Cheryl Reeve

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• “With regard to her insertion, it's still Phee's team. There is not anybody that walks into the gym that doesn't know that it's still Phee's team,” — Cheryl Reeve

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• “She needs more than herself, and that's for her to play with a point guard like Olivia Miles that Seimone Augustus got to play with, that Maya Moore got to play with -- the natural point guard," said Reeve, who set the record for the most regular-season wins by a head coach in WNBA history with her team's 86-80 win over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, about past stars she has coached.” — Cheryl Reeve

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• “I think it's premature to anoint anyone other than [Collier] as the leader of this team.” — Cheryl Reeve

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• “I think there's a lot of cohesion, a lot of confidence in one another right now and just finding ways to win.” — Cheryl Reeve

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