The Minnesota Lynx are one of the dominant teams in the WNBA with an 11-1 record. A significant factor in their success is Napheesa Collier's play, though she's out with a back injury sustained on Tuesday. 

With the Commissioner's Cup game against the Indiana Fever on July 1, the Lynx provided a crucial status report on Collier, per Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage. 

Lynx associate head coach Eric Thibault saw progress from Collier after Thursday's practice. He also mentioned head coach Cheryl Reeve said this is familiar territory for Collier. 

“She was feeling decent today,” he said. “I think Cheryl had said it’s something she’s dealt with before so just trying to get her feeling good, we know it’s a long year.”

Collier injured her back against the Las Vegas Aces. Ultimately, she had to leave the game early. 

However, the Lynx won the game 76-62 and solidified their spot in the Commissioner's Cup against the Fever. 

Before her injury, Collier was averaging 24.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, this isn't Collier's first battle with an injury this year. 

In late May, Collier injured her knee, forcing her to sit out a game against the Phoenix Mercury. Last July, Collier was hobbled with a foot injury during a July 4th game against the Connecticut Sun. 

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She was forced to miss games but managed to come back in time to win an Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA in Paris. Furthermore, Collier was runner-up for league MVP. 

When healthy, Collier is at her best. 

The Lynx need Napheesa Collier

For all their talent, the Lynx's best player is, without question, Collier. She is an all-around talent who could play effectively on both sides of the ball. 

On offense, Collier is a consistent scorer. She is currently the leading scorer in the WNBA. On defense, she is one of the top defenders in the league. 

Last year, Collier was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She currently has a defensive rating of 95.0 and is once again a contender for Defensive Player of the Year. 

In addition, Collier is the team leader, and they thrive off of her presence on the floor.