Welcome back to another edition of Swish Happens Here, powered by Fearless SC. What a week it has been in the WNBA.
Though perennial All-Star Napheesa Collier and EuroLeague MVP Dorka Juhasz have yet to play so far this season, the Minnesota Lynx own the league’s best record at 12-3, as well as the top offense (114.1) and defense (98). They suffered their first loss since mid-May against the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena, 100-97. Down two with just over 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Rookie of the Year frontrunner and potential MVP candidate Olivia Miles nailed a stepback three-pointer to give the Lynx a one-point lead with 23.9 seconds left. A’ja Wilson and Chelsa Gray connected on two free throws apiece as Minnesota played the foul game in search of an advantage to no avail.
Though there is no real benefit from moral victories, the Lynx played a great game against the defending champions, but just didn’t have it at the end. Considering this team only lost to the Atlanta Dream and the Chicago Sky before losing Rickea Jackson for the season, it’s easy to say they’re overachieving. But that would be a disservice to Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, her staff, and the buy-in from an entirely new roster, except for Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, and Anastasiia Kosu.
There were many critics and armchair general managers who thought Miles would struggle in the WNBA, but she has done the exact opposite. Before we get to the statistics, it should be common knowledge that the talent level and spacing in the league are why they’re professional athletes and not elsewhere. For Miles, one of the best lead guard prospects of her generation, this would only benefit a player whose lower-body control is otherworldly. It spells defenses that can’t pack the paint, unlike the collegiate game, which lacks a three-second call. From that point, Miles is more than comfortable orchestrating the offense to get to her spots and dish it as well. Despite there being ample film on the Lynx’s pick-and-roll packages at this point, it doesn’t appear that many teams, if any, can thwart the attack effectively enough for forty minutes. The rookie guard places ninth in scoring (19 PPG) and eighth in assists (5.7). She leads her rookie class in points, assists, three-point percentage (39.1), free throw makes (3.8), and is second in attempts (4.5).
The Lynx are in the Bay tonight, taking on the Golden State Valkyries. These two teams last faced each other in their second Commissioner’s Cup game earlier this month, where Minnesota took home the win, 87-84. Miles finished with a game-high 28 points on a fiery 8-for-11 showcase from deep while delivering seven assists. The Lynx had four players finish in double figures against one of the league’s better defensive units. If the last matchup was any hint at how tonight’s affair will play out, we are surely in for a treat.
We’re officially in the thick of it, folks. The first test of the WNBA season is the Commissioner’s Cup series, the in-season tournament that has turned the league on its […]
