Exactly halfway through the 2026 WNBA season, Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier is just now getting back to the court after a series of injuries required two separate ankle surgeries between seasons. For star athletes, she stresses, recovery is a never-ending process that requires physical and mental fortitude.
“People see what we put on the court, but they don’t see things that go behind it,” she told Glamour ahead of the WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago on July 25. “It’s very glamorized. I think it’s important for people to see that we all have issues too, and how we navigate that.”
That’s why she chose to participate in Glamour’s Full Court Health panel, co-hosted by the medicine company Eli Lilly just hours before the big game. “It’s really important to not let the future overwhelm you because you can’t control the future,” the Glamour Woman of the Year and Lily Partner said during a conversation with sports analyst Andraya Carter and ESPN reporter Holly Rowe. “I can’t control that I hurt both my ankles. I can control how hard I’m working my rehab. I can control my mindset going into it. I really try to focus inward on that and not all the things that I have no control over on the outside.”
Holly Rowe, Napheesa Collier, and Andraya Carter discuss prioritizing their health during the Full Court Health panel, “Because I Have My Health: Prioritizing What Matters.”
Bianca Garcia Photography
Rowe and Carter can both relate, having been through health struggles that permanently shifted their priorities and perspective on wellness. Carter had her heart set on playing professional basketball when she suffered a career-ending injury at 23-years old, while Rowe won a long battle with stage IV skin cancer while continuing to report from the sidelines. During their conversation, all three stressed that moving their bodies had an immeasurable impact on their mental and physical health during the most daunting stages of recovery.
“If I’m feeling off mentally and emotionally, getting in a workout is going to help me feel better,” Carter said. “But also, getting in my workouts and taking care of my body helps me feel good mentally and emotionally. To me, all three are so connected.”
That was the overarching theme of the Full Court Health event, hosted by Glamour, GQ Sports, and Eli Lilly and Company, at VenueSix10 during All-Star Weekend. All guests entered the red and white space with their very own tunnel walk before being greeted with a variety of activities aimed towards improving physical and mental health in small but impactful ways, from a glam-bot that gets you moving to GQ Sports’ shooting challenge for those who wanted to show off their skills.
Free to basketball fans in town for All-Star Weekend, notable attendees also included Cheryl Swoopes, Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd, Indiana Fever’s Aliyah Boston, ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike, and TV personality Lala Anthony.
Once guests had a chance to hit the refuel stations for craft lattes, pressed juices, or a light bite before settling in for two health-focussed panels with WNBA superstars and the expert sports reporters that cover the W. Well, not too settled. Before each panel, guests were asked to get back on their feet for a “movement snack” led by fitness coach Tonyael Miller.
Bianca Garcia Photography
Bianca Garcia Photography
Basically, every minute of the nearly three-hour event hammered home the idea that “movement is medicine,” whether you’re a superstar athlete or a fan watching from home. “While I was getting chemo, and while I was at my sickest and really struggling to survive, I figured out that I had to walk every day, and I had to keep moving, because if I would just curl up in bed, I didn’t do well,” Rowe said. “So I made a very strict routine: As soon as I would get done with chemo, I would force myself to go for walks in the evening and get my body moving because if my body moved, the medicine was working, and so movement as medicine is actually a way that I have saved my own life.”
For Queen Phee, something as simple as making the bed has a positive impact on her day. “That’s something that takes two seconds but for me, coming home to a made bed helps my mental health so much,” she said, advising the audience to pick one thing to accomplish over crafting an entire to-do list. “Pick something small to accomplish—it doesn’t matter how big it is or doesn’t matter how small it is—that’s stackable,” she says. “You did this thing, now you can do another small thing, and now you can do another, and then all of a sudden you’ve accomplished so much. Don’t think about the big picture.”
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark (also a Lilly partner) offered similar advice during the following conversation with GQ wellness director Alyssa Bereznak. Dealing with her own injuries that left her sidelined or on minute-restraints at the start of the season, Clark took to gardening to relieve stress. “I’m like, ‘I need to find something away from basketball that brings me joy and gets me outside and gets me away from everything,’” she said. “I haven’t gardened anything in my life, and I’ve got like two different types of tomatoes. I got jalapeños. I got basil, lavender, and haven’t killed anything yet.”
She continued, “It’s really important to find escapes away from what you do every single day. You have to find ways that allow you to get away and find a mental escape.”
Later that night, Clark went on to score 17 points for Team Spoon in the All-Star Game, while Carter and Rowe conducted interviews with players and reported from the sidelines. Just a few days later, Collier scored 15 points in her second game back from her injuries, helping the Lynx defeat the Toronto Tempo (100—93). Clearly, something’s working.
