Meet Napheesa Collier Parents: The Support Behind the WNBA Star

Napheesa Collier has transcended "rising star" status to become an established superstar in the WNBA. The Minnesota Lynx forward has achieved titles like a five-time WNBA All-Star, a two-time All-WNBA First Team honoree, and was named 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She's also a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist with Team USA (Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024). This season (2025), she's an All-Star captain and a leading MVP candidate, averaging over 24 points per game. Her career journey was significantly shaped by her family's dedication; after she was denied a spot on an AAU team as a child, Napheesa Collier parents remarkably formed a new team, the "Lady Warriors," ensuring her continued development and fueling her passion for the game.

Who Are Napheesa Collier Parents?

Napheesa Collier parents are Gamal Collier and Sarah Bierbaum. The family belongs from O'Fallon, Missouri. Her father, Gamal, was born in Sierra Leone and moved to the U.S. at the age of 23, while her mother, Sarah, has a background in hospital administration. Napheesa Collier brother also plays basketball in his college, and his parents supports him as they have supported Napheesa.

Napheesa Collier parents tight-knit bond and support for Napheesa's basketball career are well-documented. Notably, when Napheesa was denied a spot on an AAU team as a child, her parents remarkably formed a new team, the "Lady Warriors," to ensure she could continue playing, demonstrating their profound dedication. Napheesa has publicly shared her gratitude, stating her parents always taught her "to be really humble… to treat people the right way." While they don't have frequent public family appearances, their influence is often highlighted in profiles about her journey

Who Is Napheesa Collier Mom? All About Sarah Collier

Napheesa Collier mom is Sarah Bierbaum. She is working in hospital administration, which led to the family's move to St. Louis when Napheesa was in high school. Napheesa Collier Mom played an important role in Napheesa's upbringing, particularly in shaping her basketball career.

A standout example of her support is when Napheesa was denied a spot on an AAU team as a child; Sarah, along with Gamal, responded by forming their own team, ensuring Napheesa had a platform to play competitively. We can often see Sarah cheering for her daughter, consistently demonstrating her unwavering support for Napheesa's career both on and off the court.

What Does Napheesa Collier Mother Do?

Napheesa Collier mom is Sarah Bierbaum. Her professional background is in hospital administration, which led to the family relocating to St. Louis during Napheesa's high school years. While Sarah's professional career wasn't directly in sports, she was highly involved in Napheesa's athletic development. Her direct involvement in creating opportunities for Napheesa's basketball career profoundly influenced her path, demonstrating an immense level of support and dedication to her athletic pursuits from a very young age.

How Sarah Collier Shaped Napheesa's Career

Sarah Bierbaum (Collier) profoundly shaped Napheesa's career through unwavering dedication and significant sacrifices, as we have discussed above. Emotionally, Sarah instilled crucial values. In different interviews, Napheesa has frequently credited her parents for teaching her humbleness and how to treat people, guiding her character development alongside her athletic career. This constant personal and logistical support, epitomized by creating a team from scratch, demonstrates the immense sacrifices Sarah made to foster Napheesa's success and passion for basketball.

Who Is Napheesa Collier Dad?

Napheesa Collier dad is Gamal Collier. He was born in Sierra Leone and moved to the United States at the age of 23. If we talk about his background includes playing rugby at Buckingham University in England, he became a pivotal figure in Napheesa's basketball development. Napheesa Collier Dad has supported her in every phase of her life, and understood her passion for basketball. As his presence is not publicly seen, but we can say from Napheesa's interview statements, how much he has done for his daughter.

Gamal Collier’s Background and Job

Napheesa Collier Dad has played a very important role in shaping his daughter's basketball career. Napheesa Collier's father, Gamal Collier, is a businessman. He founded and leads the Gbonda Collier Investments Group (GCI Group). As we know when Napheesa was not selected for a team, he formed a new team so that his daughter could get the opportunity to play and follow her passion. Gamal is the son of Sierra Leone, and they moved to US, at the age of 23. He was the son of a well-known lawyer and diplomat, who is well known for the country's independence from Britain in 1961. Being the son of a respected political figure, he always shared different stories with his kids.

Napheesa Collier Family?

Napheesa Collier family is deeply invested in basketball. Napheesa Collier parents are Gamal Collier and Sarah Bierbaum, who hail from O'Fallon, Missouri. The family's dedication to her career was famously showcased when they have formed their own team, the "Lady Warriors," to ensure she could continue playing.

Napheesa Collier siblings are an older sister named Wanza Collier and a younger brother named Kai Collier, who also played college football in Missouri. In her personal life, Napheesa is married to basketball skills coach Alex Bazzell, and they have a daughter named Mila Sarah Bazzell, born in May 2022. This extended family unit, particularly her parents, provided the foundational support that propelled her to WNBA stardom.

How Napheesa Collier Parents Supported Her Growing Up

Napheesa Collier parents, Gamal Collier and Sarah Bierbaum, provided exceptional support throughout her upbringing. During her school and college days, they emphasized both academics and athletics. Napheesa graduated as a class salutatorian in high school, which shows her parents planning for her education as well as for her basketball career. Their unwavering emotional and logistical support was a constant presence, enabling her to thrive and ultimately reach her collegiate success at UConn and the WNBA. Napheesa Collier sister, who has also played college basketball which shows their parents support towards sport.

What Napheesa Collier Says About Her Parents in Interviews

Napheesa Collier consistently expresses deep gratitude for her parents' pivotal role. As we can see in her different interviews, where she has stated how her parents, Gamal and Sarah, taught her "to be really humble… to treat people the right way." She often recounts the defining moment when, after being cut from an AAU team, "my parents started their own team for me, called the Lady Warriors." This act, she explains, profoundly impacted her journey and commitment. She often thanks her parents for teaching her the foundational values they instilled, which guided her both on and off the court throughout her collegiate career at UConn and into the WNBA.