Rose v Lunar Owls - Unrivaled 2025 - Source: Getty

Napheesa Collier sums up Time's 100 list feeling with 1 word

Modified Apr 16, 2025 20:45 GMT

At just 28 years old, Napheesa Collier is well on her way to the Basketball Hall of Fame, leading a storied career through six years in the WNBA. Collier is an All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year and the co-founder of a women's professional basketball league, making her one of the most influential athletes in the world.

Collier's influence has spread wide and vast on and off the basketball court, and her efforts were recognized by Time as part of their list of the 100 most influential people of 2025. Collier was joined by Breanna Stewart, receiving recognition for their work in building Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 professional league.

The Minnesota Lynx star reacted to the honor with a post on her Instagram story on Wednesday, sharing a one-word reaction to her place on the list.

Image Credits: Via @napheesa24 on Instagram

"Honored," Collier posted, with a snapshot that pictured her hoisting the Unrivaled MVP trophy.

Collier is set to enter her seventh season in the WNBA, coming off her first Defensive Player of the Year campaign. She was also a runner-up for the league Most Valuable Player award, behind A'ja Wilson.

Napheesa Collier wins Unrivaled MVP

The inaugural season of Unrivaled has come and gone, leaving a lasting impact on the landscape of women's basketball. The league enjoyed a successful season in its opening year, earning its founders, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, spots on Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2025 list.

Looking to leave her mark on the league's inaugural season, Collier dominated for much of the season, winning the first-ever Unrivaled MVP award. She finished the season as the league's leading scorer, averaging a double-double on the year.

In 14 games, Collier averaged 25.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.4 blocks. She led the Lunar Owls BC to a league-best 13-1 record despite suffering an upset in the Unrivaled playoffs to cap off their season.

About the author

Ethen Hutton is an analyst who works for Sportskeeda, covering College Football, the NFL, the NBA and the WNBA. Ethen graduated high school with academic and athletic honors and is a member of the National High School Honors Society. After a gap year, Ethen jumped into sports writing and has over two years of experience in the field.

Ethen was raised in Ohio and is a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. His favorite all-time player is Pete Maravich as his shooting and ball-handling abilities were way ahead of his time. His favorite player in today’s NBA is Nikola Jokic due to his fascinating skillset as a big man.

Ethen loves the storylines around the NBA and the chaos that the offseason and trade deadlines bring. He enjoys technical deep dives with strong statistical analysis as well as stories where he's able to take a stance as an analyst. He is very prideful in the correctness of his work and will do extensive research to ensure all facts and evidence are 100% accurate.

When not working, Ethen enjoys recording his sports podcast, Wide Right. He is also a very invested fantasy football player.

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