Napheesa Collier is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Napheesa Collier parents, Gamal, and Sarah Collier, raised two athletic kids in Missouri. The couple comes from vastly different family backgrounds.
In many of her interviews, the WNBA star, Napheesa Collier, has talked about the contrasting atmosphere between her two families.
Coming from two ethnic backgrounds can be fun for many, but it also helps to learn about different cultures. At their Christmas parties, Napheesa and her brother, Kai, would see these cultures mix.
A woman with several achievements, Napheesa began her WNBA journey in 2019 with Minnesota Lynx.
Since then, she has achieved several accolades and has started a family with her husband, Alex Bazzell.
After giving birth to their daughter, Mila, in 2022, Napheesa returned to action within 72 days. Now with teammate Diamond Miller, the star power forward will look to deliver the franchise’s fifth championship title.
Napheesa Collier Parents: Gamal And Sarah Collier
Napheesa Collier’s parents, Gamal and Sarah Collier, come from mixed ethnic backgrounds. Gamal comes from Sierra Leone, whereas Sarah grew up in Eugene, Missouri.
Napheesa is the older of two siblings and was raised in Jefferson City, Missouri. Collier comes from a family that had written its name in history books well before she was born.
Her paternal grandfather, Gershon Collier, was a lawyer who helped negotiate Sierra Leone’s independence from Great Britain in 1961.
She couldn’t meet him but was indebted to keep the pride of the last name.
Gamal Collier And His Arrival To The US
Gamal moved to the USA in 1991 after the civil war broke out in Sierra Leonne. Before that, he lived a privileged life. Gamal completed his higher education in the United Kingdom.
From St. John’s School, Gamal completed his GSCEs before enrolling at the University of Buckingham. He studied law for a year before moving to the USA forever.
Gamal’s first stop was in New Jersey, and six months later, he shifted to Missouri after his brother’s insistence. At Missouri, he met Napheesa’s mother, Sarah, and the rest was history.
He Is A Managing Director Of Three Companies
After moving to the US, Gamal graduated from Lincoln University with a degree in political science. Gamal began working for American Family Insurance as a Claims Analyst the same year he graduated.
At the beginning of 2000, Gamal changed his career path and started working for pharmaceuticals. He joined Pfizer and was a professional healthcare representative.
He worked there for six years before joining Novartis as a senior sales consultant. From 2006-2014, Gamal worked for various medical companies.
During that time, Gamal opened his first company, Gbonda Collier Investments. The company will celebrate its 13th anniversary in November.
In 2014, Gamal joined Daiichi Sankyo, a pharmaceutical company, but this time around as a cardiovascular specialist. A position that he later worked at Amgen also.
His other two companies are Lion Mountain Investments and ECF Partners. The B2B company, ECF Partners, is owned by Naxicap Partners, a French private equity company, and has several brands under it.
Sara Collier Is Executive Director At SSM Health
Napheesa’s mom, Sarah Collier, grew up on a farm in central Missouri. She was an athlete in high school but didn’t pursue sports professionally.
She met Gamal when the two worked at a nursing home. Like Gamal, Sarah is a Lincoln University graduate, earning her degree in Nursing and receiving her license as a registered nurse.
Sarah’s association with SSM Home Care began in 2004, and since then, the mother of two has worked in several positions.
She began as a clinical supervisor in 2004, and by 2008, Sarah took up the branch manager’s role. During that time, Sarah also managed to earn a business management degree from William Wood University.
In 2016, Sarah received her MBA from Webster University and has worked as an Executive Director of Pediatrics since 2009.
Going through her Facebook handle, there are hints that Sarah might have ended her relationship with Gamal. She has shown that she is in a relationship with a man named Kelly Bierbaum.
The same is seen on her Instagram, where Gamal and Sarah might have been in a relationship until 2020 before breaking it off.
Napheesa Collier Brother Kai Collier Is A Former Football Player
Napheesa Colier’s brother, Kai Collier, is another athlete in the Collier family, even though he is a former one.
Born on January 24, 1998, Kai is two years younger than his sister.
After completing high school at Fort Zumwalt South, Kai joined Lindenwood University. Standing at 6ft 1, Kai played as a wide receiver for Lindenwood in the 2017 season.
That was the only season Kai played football before deciding to take an academic route. After graduating with a Business Management degree, Kai has been working as a salesman in Tampa, Florida.
Kai is available on Instagram with the username @kaicollier24 and has shared several pictures of him and Naphessa.
