Lynx's Miles exits on another milestone night

SAN FRANCISCO -- Olivia Miles had a noticeable limp as she walked back to the Minnesota Lynx's locker room following their 77-66 win over the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday night. Midway through the fourth quarter, Miles tweaked her left ankle by stepping on teammate Napheesa Collier's foot, sending Miles to the floor. She stayed down for several minutes before hobbling to the bench under her own power. Miles briefly went into the tunnel and was tended to by team staff before returning to the bench, but she did not check back in to the game. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve did not have an update on Miles after the game. "Obviously we are hoping she's OK," Reeve said. That moment cast a cloud over what was otherwise another stellar night for the No. 2 overall pick, who finished with 20 points on 8-of-10 field goal shooting -- including three 3-pointers -- as well as 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Miles created a mini highlight reel for herself in Ballhalla. In the final seconds of the first half, she sidestepped Valkyries guard Veronica Burton and found just two inches of space to knock down a long 3-pointer. In the third quarter, she swung the ball around her waist before completing a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Kayla McBride, who knocked down a 3. With just under five minutes to go in the fourth, Miles crossed up and dropped Golden State's Janelle Salaun and found herself with two seconds to set up her shot and launch it. "I'm not [surprised] anymore," McBride said. "She is so present, she is so talented and poised. She's just a hooper. She loves the moment ... she relishes the moments. I'm excited to see what she does next." "That backward pass was insane," Collier added. "I'm in awe. I'm surprised in a good way." Miles passed A'ja Wilson and Paige Bueckers for the third-most points by a rookie in WNBA history (696), and her 19.9 points per game puts her on pace for the third-most by a rookie behind Seimone Augustus (21.9 in 2006) and Wilson (20.7 in 2018). Miles also tied the mark for third-most 20-point games by a rookie and became the third rookie in league history to have multiple games with 20 points on 80% field goal shooting. Wednesday was her sixth game with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, tying Tamika Catchings (2002) for the second-most by a rookie in WNBA history, behind only Caitlin Clark (14 in 2024). "She has a maturity about her," Reeve said. "That's a rookie. It's high stakes, and you know she is going to be targeted and part of the other team's game plan. ... She has a natural maturity for the position that she plays, recognizing what was being given to her, and she was opportunistic." To go along with Miles' production, McBride also finished with 20 points, while Collier had 19 points and eight rebounds. The Lynx built as much as a 22-point lead over Golden State, which they credited to their defense. The Lynx held the Valkyries to their worst shooting half of the season in the first half, allowing just 28 points (Golden State's fewest in any half) on 24.3% field goal shooting (worst shooting percentage). "We have been one of the better defensive teams, but Golden State sort of holds the badge for the best defensive team in a few metrics," Reeve said. "I was really appreciative that our defense rivaled that of Golden State. Our passion, our intensity for what we were doing, our commitment to things we weren't willing to give up ... was really good." The Golden State went on a 17-2 run to bridge the third and fourth quarters to eventually cut the deficit to just seven points, but big shots from McBride -- especially after Miles exited the game -- ensured the win for Minnesota. The Lynx are now 9-0 against the Valkyries dating back to last season, but Collier said she doesn't believe her team "has anyone's number." Wednesday's win put Minnesota 4 1/2 games above Golden State in the standings for first place. The teams face each other again Monday in Minnesota.