Lynx get Collier back from double ankle surgeries, on minutes restriction

Minnesota's first-place Lynx have Napheesa Collier back on the court, though on a limited basis. The five-time All-Star and MVP front-runner made her season debut Wednesday against the Seattle Storm after undergoing surgeries on both ankles in the offseason, per ESPN's reporting.

Collier's return caps a nine-month recovery from a pair of injuries that forced her out for the entire second half of last season. She suffered a right ankle injury in August last season and missed three weeks, then tore three ligaments in her left ankle in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals in September and has not played since. She underwent surgery on her right ankle on New Year's Day and surgery on her left ankle in March, initially ruled out for four to six months.

The path back has been methodical. Collier returned to team practices on July 1 and spent the past month ramping up conditioning and activities. Medical staff and Collier targeted this week for her return, with the timing strategic: Wednesday's game against Seattle is Minnesota's last game before the All-Star break. The Lynx don't play again until July 28, giving Collier a week to see how her body responds to game action.

Coach Cheryl Reeves has made clear, though, that expectations should be tempered. Reeves said Collier will be under a minutes restriction Wednesday and that her on-the-court expectations should be "tempered." According to ESPN, Reeves said: "This is the next step in her process, this is not a full tilt. We're certainly going to be mindful. This is a really incredible step, but we still have a couple more steps to go before we get to see the Phee we've come to know." Reeves added that while Collier is "just so gifted naturally, instinctual," the team will not yet push her to act as the best player on the floor.

The gradual approach stands in contrast to Collier's pre-injury caliber. Last season, before her ankle injuries, she averaged 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. She became the second player in league history to shoot 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent from 3, and 90 percent from the free throw line in a season.

Minnesota's first-place standing, confirmed in league standings at 21-6 without Collier, has been bolstered by the standout play of rookie Olivia Miles. Collier's reintegration will test the team's depth and spacing as she works back to form.

Reeves noted that the medical and performance staff, not the coach, made the call to have Collier return this week. Reeves said it was "logical" for Collier to return now to have a week to see how her body responds, though she was not part of that decision-making.