The intersection of personal milestones and groundbreaking professional triumphs has propelled Minnesota Lynx power forward Napheesa Collier into the epicenter of sports media.
As a multi-time Olympic gold medalist and an elite force in the WNBA, Collier’s life off the hardwood—particularly her marriage and entrepreneurial ventures—continues to garner significant interest from sports enthusiasts worldwide.
Is Napheesa Collier Married?
Yes, Napheesa Collier is married to her longtime partner, Alex Bazzell. The couple’s romantic timeline traces back to Collier’s collegiate years at the University of Connecticut (UConn).
After building a strong personal and professional foundation, the duo got engaged in October 2019.
The high-profile pair celebrated two major personal milestones in 2022. First, they welcomed their first child, a daughter named Mila Sarah Bazzell, in May 2022.
Months later, on October 7, 2022, Collier and Bazzell officially tied the knot during an elegant wedding ceremony in St. Louis, Missouri, attended by several of her former UConn teammates.
What Does Napheesa Collier’s Husband Do?
Alex Bazzell is a prominent and highly respected professional basketball skills coach and sports executive.
A former collegiate and international professional athlete, Bazzell transitioned into coaching and has trained elite NBA and WNBA superstars, including Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony.
Notably, Bazzell served as a primary trainer for the late Gianna “Gigi” Bryant and counted NBA icon Kobe Bryant as a pivotal professional mentor.
Beyond individual court training, Bazzell is a powerful player in the sports business ecosystem:
- Through The Lens: He co-founded this digital, subscription-based educational media platform featuring premium tactical content from NBA and WNBA talent.
- Unrivaled Basketball League: Alongside his wife, Napheesa Collier, and fellow WNBA star Breanna Stewart, Bazzell helped launch Unrivaled—a revolutionary three-on-three professional women’s basketball league. Bazzell serves as the league’s president, providing historic offseason compensation and equity stakes to top female players.
Understanding Gender Representation in the WNBA
Amid broader internet searches regarding identity and diversity in professional women’s sports, fans often inquire about transgender and non-binary representation in the WNBA.
Currently, there are no openly transgender women active in the WNBA. The league’s most historic milestone concerning trans and gender-nonconforming identities belongs to Layshia Clarendon.
Before retiring, Clarendon made history as the WNBA’s first openly non-binary and transgender player.
Clarendon, who uses he/they/she pronouns, famously advanced the conversation surrounding LGBTQ+ healthcare and inclusion in professional sports by publicly documenting their top surgery journey while actively playing in the league.
As Collier handles her dual responsibilities as a marquee franchise player and a sports entrepreneur, her partnership with Bazzell remains a fundamental cornerstone of her success.
Together, they continue to shift the financial landscape of women’s basketball, proving that their synergy is just as potent in the executive boardroom as it is on the court.