Napheesa Collier opens up on the initial challenges of dating and marrying former coach Alex Bazzell: “It was hard at first”
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier shared details of her relationship with former coach Alex Bazzell, admitting that their relationship was not easy at the start. They became engaged in 2019, welcomed their first child – daughter Mila Bazzell – in 2021 and would wed in 2022.
During Friday’s edition of The Ringer WNBA Show, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year opened up on the early challenges of her relationship as they tried to differentiate their work as player and trainer and their romantic relationship.
“It was hard at first,” Collier said. “Because we started out in a trainer- trainee relationship first, and then we got into relationship. It was kind of hard to set those boundaries.”
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“I feel like both of our timbers, mostly mine, was like a little bit shorter in the beginning,” she added. “We kind of had to have a sit down where it’s like, when we’re training, we’re back to our trainer-training relationship, and then when we’re not, we’re back to, you know, being partners.”
“And I think, like, once we had that and I could kind of compartmentalize. It was a lot easier, because it’s a lot easier for your trainer to, like, be snappy with you and tell you what to do than like your boyfriend. I’m like, why are you telling what to do? Why are you like, it’s literally my job,” Collier concluded. (from 18:00 mark)
Five years after they got engaged, things have seemingly gone well for the couple, so much so that they teamed up with each other and Breanna Stewart to found Unrivaled League, a 3-on-3 competition set to debut in January.
Napheesa Collier is one of the co-founders, and Bazzell is the president.
Napheesa Collier’s husband Alex Bazzell opens up on attempts to sign Caitlin Clark
Besides their time in the gym together, they’re working to create something meaningful for female players. During the same conversation, Alex Bazzell talked about Unrivaled’s attempts to land Caitlin Clark, one of the best female players in the world and an extremely famous athlete.
He explained that contrary to what many people thought, they didn’t expand the number of teams to have more time to work something out with Clark but to add spots to bring a player like Alyssa Thomas.
Bazzell said that Clark would be welcome to challenge Napheesa Collier and Co. if she decides to play in 2026.
