Napheesa Collier missed playing, and it truly looked that way on Monday, when she finally returned to action after a lengthy absence. 

After sitting out the previous seven games due to an injured ankle, Collier stepped back on the court and didn’t seem to have missed a beat. 

The five-time WNBA All-Star wreaked havoc on the floor for an efficient total 32 points to lead all scorers in Minnesota’s 97-84 takedown of the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever at Target Center.

Collier announced her return at the expense of the Fever, who simply had no counter for her. The former UConn Huskies star shot 11-for-16 from the field. When she was not dropping buckets from the field, Collier was punishing Indiana for fouling her, as she hit eight of her nine attempts from the free throw line. In addition, Collier grabbed nine rebounds, dished out two dimes and recorded a pair of steals, as she finished with a plus-24.

In the seven games that Collier sat out, the Lynx held the fort nicely, going 5-2 over the same stretch. The only blemishes were losses on the road to reigning WNBA champions New York Liberty (85-75) and at the hands of the Atlanta Dream ( 75-73).

Despite her incredible outing, Collier hinted that she’s not yet back to her top form.

“It definitely felt good, I feel like I had to knock a little bit of the rust off, Courtney [Williams]could have had 11 assists,” Collier told reporters in the postgame press conference after the Fever game (via Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage). “More than anything, it felt good to be back with the team… I’m having such FOMO. It feels so good to be on the court with them again.”

Williams had jokes, too, following the contest, where she also made history by becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in single-season assists.

“Awh man it’s relief, I told her before the game I’m sick of taking 18-20 shots, I’m ready to get back to 10-12, you see tonight, I’m good at 11 so it feel good to have Phee back for sure,” Williams, who had 14 points and 11 assists, said (h/t Dukowitz).

The Lynx have already clinched a sure seat in the 2025 WNBA playoffs, and they still are the only team to date who have done so. They did not rush Collier back, but they also could have given her a longer rest, given their place in the standings. At the same time, Minnesota would also want Collier to get important reps in time for the postseason, where the Lynx will look to surpass their runner-up finish in 2024.

The Lynx, who are also the first team to win 30 games this season, have seven games left on their schedule, including this coming Friday’s meeting with the Seattle Storm at home at Target Center in Minnesota.