ST. LOUIS — Napheesa Collier, also known as "Queen Phee," is taking part in her second Olympics with Team USA women’s basketball, and she could be one of the most important players on the roster.
She'll make her Paris 2024 debut at 2 p.m. CDT on July 29 in USA vs. Japan.
Here are five things you should know about her:
- The 27-year-old Olympian is a Missouri native who was born in Jefferson City and raised in St. Charles. She attended Incarnate Word Academy, leading them to three Missouri Class 4 state championships.
- Collier is a forward for the Minnesota Lynx. After playing college basketball for the University of Connecticut, she was drafted by the Lynx with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft and went on to win WNBA Rookie of the Year in her first season.
- Collier has already achieved Olympic gold. She medaled with USA women’s basketball when they defeated Japan in the finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
- On top of being a superior athlete, Collier is also the proud mom of a toddler. She raises 2-year-old Mila alongside her partner Alex Bazzell, a Lindenwood University grad and a trainer for NBA and WNBA stars.
- Collier founded Unrivaled Basketball with fellow Team USA basketball player Breanna Stewart. Unrivaled is a league built in collaboration with some of the biggest stars in women’s basketball, according to its website. The league will tip off in Miami in January 2025.
Click here to see schedule for Team USA women’s basketball in Paris.
