Napheesa Collier turns heads as WNBA star shows up at TIME100 gala

Napheesa Collier attended the TIME100 Gala in New York City on Thursday night, with the Minnesota Lynx star turning heads as she was celebrated for her role in founding Unrivaled

Fans fawned over Unrivaled founder and WNBA superstar Napheesa Collier as she impressed at the TIME100 gala.

On Thursday night, the TIME100 Gala took place at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. After she was named on the list for her role in co-founding Unrivaled – the new 3×3 league that was staged in Miami – Collier was named to the TIME100 list alongside co-founder Breanna Stewart.

Collier, who spoke out after Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever were handed the most national TV slots for the 2025 WNBA season, was commended for her leadership and impact in helping to dictate the future of women’s sports following the successful launch of Unrivaled. While many praised the Minnesota Lynx star for her role and success over the last 12 months, others showered her with compliments for her outfit.

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Collier wore a silver low-cut dress that wowed fans. One user wrote: “Most beautiful woman in the WNBA even when she’s not all made up.”

“Damn, this is the best I’ve seen her look,” added another. Another wrote: “damn Phee!! she’s a baller too.”

“PHEEnomenal,” a fourth user posted. One fan took the opportunity to suggest Collier is going to dominate the league and awards next season, predicting: “2025 MVP, 2025 DPOY, 2025 WNBA Champion. Book it.”

Collier and Stewart’s Unrivaled experienced a tremendous debut season. Last month, Angel Reese’s Rose emerged from the inaugural Unrivaled season as champions, clinching a 62-54 victory over the Vinyl to win a historic first championship.

Unrivaled paid each of its 36 players a guaranteed $250,000 salary for the eight-week season, along with $50,000 for each member of the winning team. The league claims to be offering the highest average salary of any women’s sports league, while players also receive equity stakes as part-owners in the league which makes it a compelling venture both financially and professionally.

Collier recently noted that Unrivaled earned $27 million in revenue and raised enough to sustain itself for the next few years. Speaking to CNBC, the 28-year-old said: “It was year one, and it’s like, you have an idea and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

“We were changing things in real time, so we’re hoping to improve the fan experience and make it even better for the players – so growth is what we’re looking at.”

Collier enjoyed a fine 2024 season; the four-time All-Star won Defensive Player of the Year while leading the Lynx to the WNBA Finals, where they controversially fell to Stewart’s New York Liberty. The Lynx tip off the 2025 WNBA season against Paige Bueckers’ Dallas Wings on May 16.