Napheesa Collier has been busy this WNBA offseason getting herself in shape for her fifth season as a catalyst for the Minnesota Lynx.

The bigger challenge for Collier — keeping up with Mila, her eight-month old daughter.

“She’s so fast,” Collier said with a laugh during a recent phone interview. “It's hard because I can't look away from her for a second. She gets into everything.

“It's really fun to see (that) anything and everything is so interesting to her. You can give her anything and it’ll keep her occupied for at least 10 minutes.”

Mila and Napheesa Collier are both in Connecticut this weekend as Napheesa supports UConn, her alma mater, when the fifth-ranked Huskies host to defending national champion and top-ranked South Carolina on Sunday at the XL Center in Hartford.

“I’m super-excited,” Collier said. “We owe them a game for sure.”

Collier will return to Minnesota after the game for USA Basketball Women’s National Team training camp from Feb. 6-9 in Minneapolis.

Collier missed all but the final four Lynx games last season after giving birth to Mila Sarah Collier on May 25, 2022.

Motherhood was something she wanted in her life although she didn’t set a timetable.

“My mom and dad had my brother and I really young,” Collier said. “I always liked the idea of growing up with kids. Mom was 22 when she had me, and then I got to that age, and I was like ‘no (not yet).’

“Then I started playing (professionally) and they never say, ‘now’s the right time’ (to be a mother).’ It just kind of happened.”

Collier has enjoyed having time to be home with Mila and her family instead of playing overseas this winter, something most WNBA players do in order to supplement their income which is nowhere close to what their male peers earn.

“Mila is so big, and she changes every single day,” Collier said. “She's definitely very, very happy. She's laughing all the time. She's also super-stubborn so that's been like a give-and-take, so it's kind of it's kind of cool to see. My mom said I was stubborn, and I don’t know if I believe it. Her dad (Alex Bazzell) is definitely stubborn so that’s where I say she gets it from.

“(Motherhood) has definitely made me more responsible and (to) just take things into perspective; just what’s really important to me in my life and it’s definitely my family.”

Collier was determined to get back to the Lynx last season in order to play one last time with Sylvia Fowles, who had announced prior to last season that it would be her last. It was a daunting goal because Collier wasn’t allowed to exercise for the first month after giving birth.

Collier made her season debut on Aug. 7, a mere 74 days after Mila was born. She worked out as much as she could prior to that time but, as she quickly found out, there was no way she could get back into basketball condition so fast.

“Oh my gosh,” Collier said. “It was harder than I thought it was going to be.

“At that point I’m still carrying extra baby weight. (Your) ligaments, they loosen up when you’re pregnant, so all those were loose. I had no core because that spreads out. I had no muscle because I couldn’t lift for months-and-months. So just my whole body was just out of whack. … I’ve been really blessed with, knock on wood, I haven’t had injuries so (it was) definitely the hardest rehab I’ve had to do.”

Collier, as much as she cherishes family, missed being with the Lynx. She became one of their best players upon her arrival as she scored 27 points with six rebounds in her first regular season game on May 25, 2019. She earned Rookie of the Year honors that season over the likes of Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces), the first pick in the 2019 draft, and Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings).

Collier was named a team captain for her second season and is one of Minnesota’s most indispensable players as it rebuilds. Forwards Bridget Carleton, Damiris Dantas, Nikolina Milic and guard Lindsay Allen re-signed with the Lynx on Friday and veteran free agent guard Tiffany Mitchell is leaving the Indiana Fever to play for the Lynx.

“I’m really excited,” Collier said. “We’re being really aggressive in free agency, and I think we have the opportunity to do something really special this year. I think it’s going to be fun and hopefully we can turn a few heads with our signings in the offseason.”

n.griffen@theday.com