WNBA: Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier headline season-shaping injuries

It’s one factor that impacts winning every year, and it’s one that no team has control over: injuries.

If you search back through WNBA seasons, you’ll find some pretty big ones that could’ve changed the outcome of playoff series, and even the championship. This year, unfortunately, there are many high-profile players missing time. It’s put a damper on the season, determining which teams have, or have not, been able to optimize their talent and compete to their best ability.

Here are the five injuries that have had the most impact on the 2025 WNBA season:

Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx)

The Minnesota Lynx have already clinched a playoff spot, are six games ahead of the No. 2 seed and seem poised to avenge their 2024 WNBA Finals loss.

However, the health of Napheesa Collier is a big question mark. She is currently out with a right ankle sprain and will miss at least two weeks. This isn’t the biggest injury ever, but this late into the season, any injury is bad, especially for an MVP candidate playing for the title favorite.

Hopefully, Collier will return to top form, and nothing health-wise will stop her from pursuing a title this year.

Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever)

Caitlin Clark is one of the most electrifying players in the WNBA, and there was so much excitement to see how she’d do with an improved Indiana Fever roster in her sophomore season.

The season started well for the Fever, and they won the Commissioner’s Cup, beating the Lynx. Even in that victory, though, Clark was out with a groin injury. At the time, it wasn’t their biggest concern, but after she came back and injured her groin again, it since has become very serious. Clark hasn’t played in nearly a month and has only participated in 13 games.

She can kiss goodbye any end-of-season awards, and with the season entering its final quarter, we still don’t have a definitive time for her return.

Even if she does come back, it’s hard to imagine she’s fully healthy, comfortable and ready to go on a deep playoff run with Indiana. This injury is a shame, as the Fever looked so promising during Clark’s handful of games.

Kayla Thornton (Golden State Valkyries)

The expansion Golden State Valkyries have been the feel-good story of this WNBA season. They have consistently remained in playoff position all year.

In July, Kayla Thornton injured her knee in practice, which ended her season. This was a huge blow since Thornton was having a career year, averaging 14 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

Golden State has continued to win and has remained competitive without their All-Star, but Thornton’s injury and subsequent absence make this a “what if” year for the Valkyries.

Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty)

Repeating is very difficult, and when you have injuries, it makes the return to the top even harder.

Breanna Stewart has been dealing with a right knee injury since July 26 and has yet to return. While there’s hope that she will be back by the end of August, the regular season only goes until the middle of September, so the timeline is certainly tight.

Even with the New York Liberty adding on Emma Meesseman, they’ll need a healthy Stewart if they want the best chance at defending their title. At this point, the Lynx are the favorites, and if Stewart can’t return or is limited, it’s hard to imagine the Liberty will be able to win it all once again.

Angel Reese (Chicago Sky)

Similar to Clark, the absence of Angel Reese has been disappointing. The NBA 2K26 cover athlete was having a great season, averaging 14.2 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. She’s been dealing with a back injury and has no timetable for a return.

The Chicago Sky have been awful, and while Reese playing wouldn’t solve everything, it would’ve certainly helped. Instead, Chicago has been disappointing, and there is nothing to look forward to except the return of Reese, or the announcement that she’ll be out for the rest of the season.

Injuries are a part of the game, but that doesn’t mean we have to like them.

On the plus side, most of these injuries don’t appear to be gravely serious and, outside of Thornton, these players might even return this year. Collier, Stewart and possibly Clark can all still impact their team’s playoff chances, while Reese can give Sky fans something to cheer for.