Ten-and-a-half weeks after giving birth to a baby girl, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier is back on the court.
The WNBA forward gave birth to her daughter Mila in May and made her WNBA return on Sunday.
Collier scored six points and grabbed two rebounds in her first game back against the Atlanta Dream. She also had an assist, a block and a steal.
“I was really excited,” Collier said while holding Mila on her lap postgame, per ESPN. “Obviously, there’s some nerves coming in, especially this late in the season and trying to get back here and rush to do everything. But it felt so good to hear my name called and have the fans cheer for me. It was a really good feeling. So I’m really glad I played tonight.”
The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement specifically addresses maternity leave. All teams are required to offer “fully-paid maternity leave to its players,” per Business Insider. “Parents playing in the WNBA are also eligible to receive a child care stipend and housing assistance.”
Before the 2020 collective bargaining agreement, WNBA players earned “as little as half their salaries” while taking maternity leave, per The Atlantic.