UConn legend and WNBA superstar Napheesa Collier at risk of losing Olympics place

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier is playing near an MVP level in the WNBA this season - but she could miss out on the Olympics with injury concerns after making the official roster last month.

On Saturday, Collier sat out the 74-67 win over the Washington Mystics with a plantar fasciitis condition in her left foot. No timetable has been given for her return, which has raised concerns as Team USA prepares to link up ahead of the Paris Olympics.

Collier led the Lynx to Commissioner's Cup final glory and was named MVP against the New York Liberty , and she has finished in the top five of WNBA MVP voting twice in her first five seasons. On the season, the 27-year-old is averaging 20 points per game along with 10.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals as she consistently displays her worth on both ends of the floor.

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Before the Olympics, the Lynx have four games remaining before the All-Star Game in Phoenix where Collier, who named to the All-WNBA first team last season, is scheduled to play for Team USA versus Team WNBA. The Olympics begin on July 26, and U.S. and Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve suggested Collier is now in a race against time to make the Olympics, and her fitness will be closely monitored as she recovers.

“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. “The situation she's in, it's best for us to just kind of take it day by day.”

Frustratingly, Collier has suffered from plantar fasciitis throughout her college career at UConn where she became a college basketball legend. The issue reared its head when she limped off the court after feeling discomfort in her foot in the third quarter of Minnesota’s loss to the Connecticut Sun on Thursday.

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“This is something she's used to dealing with,” Reeve said. “At the same time, she has goals. And we've always felt like doing right by the players ... balancing if it's good for her to go, then we'll look at that. And if it's not, and it's in the name of being ready for when we have a chance to get the national team together [we'll do that].

“We're just going to evaluate that. It's obviously too soon. We've got a couple of weeks.” She added: “Phee will work her tail off and do what's necessary. I’ll just check in every day and see where it's at.”

Collier, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft, has added relentless defense to new heights. Her MVP candidacy might rest on that side of the ball, which is difficult to measure precisely through statistics, and her play elevated the Lynx - who entered at the Commissioner's Cup final with the best defensive rating in the league.