Who is Napheesa Collier's husband, Alex Bazzell? Taking a closer look at WNBA star's relationship

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier has been enjoying a career year in the WNBA this season. However, Collier isn’t the only member of her family who has made a living from basketball.

Her husband, Alex Bazzell, is a renowned WNBA and NBA trainer. Bazzell is also the co-founder of Through the Lens, “a tech company built for athletes to scale their individual brands and business objectives.”

Collier met Bazzell when she was a high school senior. Bazzell later became her trainer during her freshman year at the University of Connecticut. The couple started dating during her junior year of college and later got engaged in October 2019.

They then welcomed their first child together, daughter Mila Sarah Bazzell, in May 2022.

At the time of her pregnancy, Collier spoke about how excited she was to have her child grow up around Bazzell’s clients and her teammates:

“I am super excited. The athletes that Alex trains, to have the kid be around them, to have them be around my teammates, and have 11 other aunts. I'm really excited to see them around that environment, bring them into the world that we already live in,” Collier said.

Napheesa Collier and Alex Bazzell later got married in St. Louis, Missouri in Oct. 2022 in a ceremony that included several of Collier’s former college teammates.

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Alex Bazzell hopes Through the Lens will help grow WNBA's popularity

WNBA and NBA trainer Alex Bazzell and Las Vegas Aces star Candace Parker

In 2020, Alex Bazzell spoke with Sports Illustrated about his goal for Through the Lens.

Bazzell said that his No. 1 priority was to carry on the legacy of his late friend, LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. He said that he planned to do so by using his platform to promote the WNBA as much as possible:

“The women's side is another unique story,” Bazzell said. “The WNBA side is just as relevant to me as the NBA side. So learning from Kobe, women’s basketball is a huge part of my life every day.

"I just kinda saw this need for not only equality but inclusion. A lot of sports, specifically, is always tailored to men or young boys because we're seen as athletes, and women are put in this specific box of who you have to be.”

He added that his relationship with Napheesa Collier also played a major role in his passion for women’s basketball:

“Napheesa is one of the best athletes in the world, so I have a different perspective on women athletes and what they bring to the world,” Bazzell said.