WNBA: Minnesota Lynx defeat Los Angeles Sparks as Napheesa Collier absence threatens Olympics participation
By Ben Southby
Published 10/07/2024 at 11:25 GMT+1
Napheesa Collier was absent again as the Minnesota Lynx overcame the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA to stay top of the Western Conference. Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Collins has a plantar fasciitis condition in her left foot and missed a second consecutive game ahead of the Paris Games. "It's best for us to take it day by day," Lynx and US Olympic coach Cheryl Reeve said.
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Napheesa Collier missed her second consecutive game due to an issue with her left foot, as the Minnesota Lynx came out on top against the Los Angeles Sparks in the Women’s NBA.
The 27-year-old Olympic gold medallist is currently nursing a plantar fasciitis condition, which forced her to limp off the court in Saturday's win over the Washington Mystics.
However, her absence did not stop the Lynx record their seventh consecutive win over the Los Angeles side, as they came out on top in an 82-67 triumph on Tuesday night at the Crypto.com Arena.
The victory keeps them top of the Western Conference ahead of the Seattle Storm, and third place overall behind the New York Liberty and the Connecticut Sun after 22 games.
Collier has struggled with plantar fasciitis since her college days, and with the Olympic Games in Paris just around the corner, coach Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve is not taking any chances.
Reeve, who also coaches Collier on the United States Olympic team, said a return to WNBA action depends on her fitness for the Games this summer.
"It's certainly on our minds. There's no way I'm going to sit here and say we aren't considering that," Reeve said ahead of the Sparks victory, as the coaching staff plotted a return.
"The situation she's in, it's best for us to just kind of take it day by day."
There are only three games left until Collier is scheduled to feature in the Team USA v Team WNBA All-Star game, just a week before the Basketball competition gets started at the Paris Games on Saturday, July 27.
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Collier played for the All-WNBA first team last year, and has averaged 20 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists this term.
She was named in the 5-on-5 Olympic team for the United States last month for the second time in her career after representing the nation at the Tokyo Games in 2021, helping her country win the gold medal after defeating hosts Japan 90–75 in the final.
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.
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