Napheesa Collier explains how she juggles motherhood and the WNBA Finals

WNBA star Napheesa Collier admitted that juggling motherhood and the biggest year of her professional basketball career was no walk in the park.

Collier, 28, greeted his daughter Mila in May 2022 with current husband Alex Bazzellis in the middle of the WNBA Finals with the Minnesota Lynx, just two months after winning her second consecutive gold medal as a member of the Team USA women's basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In an exclusive interview with Us weekly Before Game 3 of the finals, Collier said it took a village to keep all the plates spinning.

“I'm just so lucky to have such an amazing family and support system,” said Collier, who spoke to us about her partnership with Opill, America's first and only over-the-counter daily birth control pill. “My dad was with us in Minnesota the last two seasons. He has an apartment in our building. My daughter stays with him the night before the games so I can get a good rest.”

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Collier was drafted by the Lynx with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft after a standout four-year college career at UConn. She and Bazzell, 34, married in October 2022, five months after their daughter's arrival.

“My husband takes on a huge burden of parenting during the season just because I'm away so much,” Collier continued. “I'm just very lucky to have a partner who supports me in this way. It's not easy to juggle that. He also has a full-time job.”

Bazzell is president of Unrivaled Basketball, the new women's 3-on-3 league created by Collier and the New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart in May.

The six-team league will finish its inaugural season in January, meaning there will be little rest for the players competing in the WNBA Finals, which includes Collier's friend and business partner Stewart, 30.

“We will be rivals for the next few games, no matter how many games it takes to win a championship,” Collier said of Stewart and the Liberty. “When this is over, of course you love all the players on the other team. But not now. You shouldn't think about that. You are public enemy No. 1.”

Collier added: “We can break it down once the season is over.”

In addition to her roles as a parent and basketball player, Collier is also a passionate advocate for reproductive rights, which is why she partnered with Opill.

“I believe so much in what they do,” Collier said. “I think it's really important to go out and talk to people who are at risk of becoming pregnant and make sure they're informed about their contraceptive options. Opill offers something that is affordable for people and available over the counter, so they don’t have to get permission from a doctor or have these conversations.”

Collier added: “Women’s reproductive rights are universal. Women should be able to talk about this. It shouldn't be based on your political views. Educating women about this and ensuring they have access and options is a human right.”

Further information about Opill can be found here.