For Napheesa Collier, beating all odds to shine was something she inherited. From birth, she was familiar with two vastly different worlds through her parents and their families. Her father, Gamal Collier, came from war-torn Sierra Leone, while her mother, Sarah Collier, hailed from the tiny Missouri town of Eugene.

Despite these differences, her parents never hindered her ambitions; instead, they always encouraged her to reach for the sky. In fact, they helped mold their little girl into the humble hoops star, Napheesa Collier. “I’m so blessed to have been born in America and have the opportunities I have,” she told The New York Times. Interesting, right? Well, there’s more—read on to learn fascinating facts about the Minnesota Lynx forward’s family history.

A source of pride and inspiration: Greshon Collier

Napheesa Collier’s grandfather, Gershon Collier, was a high-profile lawyer in his time, and he played a significant role in helping Sierra Leone negotiate independence from Britain in 1961. “It’s such a big deal, getting independence for a whole country,” Collier said, proud of her grandfather, who also served as the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone.

Before that, Gershon Collier was Sierra Leone’s ambassador to both the United States and the United Nations. As Collier recalls, there’s a photograph of her grandfather with President John F. Kennedy in the Oval Office. However, Collier never got to meet her brave grandfather. He had already passed away two years before she was born.

Nevertheless, Collier’s father kept the connection between his father and daughter alive by sharing stories about Gershon Collier’s life and achievements. “My dad would tell stories about growing up and what his dad did and things like that, but as a kid, it just seems normal, like, ‘Oh cool, Grandpa did this,’” she said. As a young girl, it was challenging for her to fully grasp the magnitude of her grandfather’s role in history.

“You don’t realize until you get older that, wow, it was really amazing what he did.” While her grandfather’s success might not have inspired her basketball journey, it certainly instilled a deep sense of pride. But the question remains: How did Napheesa Collier’s journey begin in Missouri?

A lively childhood

It all dates back to the 1990s when her father immigrated to America amid the civil war in Sierra Leone. He began working at a nursing home in Jefferson City, where he met the love of his life, Sarah. Napheesa Collier bursts into laughter whenever she talks about the differences between the two sides of her family.

Her dad’s community is known for their loud gatherings, with “music booming, food everywhere, just like a party all the time.” Her mother’s family, on the other hand, is “a little quieter.” She added, “We play cards and stuff; they live on a farm, and it’s just so different. It’s funny.”

But neither of her parents seem to invested in sports. Though, her grandfather was known to be an inveterate fan of the Giants and the Yankees. Skipping a generation, the Colliers now have a basketball star in Napheesa and a football player in her younger brother, Kai. However, Napheesa’s journey wasn’t always smooth.

An advice from father was a savior for Napheesa Collier

In high school, Collier wanted to play basketball, but the only Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team in her city did not let her try out. So, her parents stepped in to support her. They started a new team, the Lady Warriors, with new girls on the roster from a nearby town. The team was then sent to compete in a national AAU tournament.

As Collier proved that she was made for basketball, the AAU team that had rejected her offered her a spot. But Collier chose to remain with her parents’ Lady Warriors. Since then, her parents have been a vital source of support for her. In fact, they are the reason behind her serene demeanor. “My parents always taught me to be really humble, especially with people off the court, to treat people the right way.”

But when Collier steps onto the court, she leaves everyone behind, especially with her expression. Her strategy is to show no emotions. “One thing that my dad always said was that you want to try to get a reaction out of the people you’re playing against, like, you want them to get frustrated,” she says.

According to Dan Rolfes, her high school coach, Napheesa always has a “stoic look” when she’s on the court. Even when she makes a great move, she hides her excitement within. “Typically, she’s gonna give credit to someone else,” he revealed. And that’s probably helped Napheesa become a four-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist.

Despite all this success, there are ties Collier never forgets. She often plans to visit Sierra Leone with her father. Though the father-daughter duo has never been successful in making those plans happen, it’s the thought that counts. Now she is a mother herself to Mila and wishes not to force her legacy onto the little one.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with NCAA Star Asia Avinger.