The Minnesota Lynx suffered an 80-66 loss on Monday night to the Golden State Valkyries, with Olivia Miles having one of her more disappointing performances in an otherwise impressive rookie season. She made 3 of 12 shots, finishing with just eight points, which is uncharacteristic for the Rookie of the Year frontrunner. Miles had four rebounds, five assists, and four turnovers in the team's eighth loss of the season.
Her head coach, Cheryl Reeve, believes that was the sort of "disappointment" she needs the rookie to experience amid all of the success she's had in her first season. "I want games like this for Liv as a rookie. We need games like this so that there’s learning that happens.
There's disappointment, maybe, that she’s feeling for sure. She needs that, and we need that. That’s the kind of stuff that makes us a better team," Reeve said postgame.
It's worth noting that the Lynx shot poorly as a team, going 35.6% for the game, possibly a testament to the Valkyries' defense. Minnesota also had 17 turnovers in the loss. More news: Paige Bueckers Reacts to UConn WBB Documentary: ‘It’s Not Always Beautiful’ It doesn't feel like one bad night will break the Lynx or Miles, as she and the team have been at the top of the league this season.
The Lynx rookie should still win Rookie of the Year easily, as the competition hasn't seemed close at all. She's averaging 19.7 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. Miles has also been in the conversation for WNBA Most Valuable Player, although the favorite there remains A'ja Wilson.
Still, her season has been nothing short of impressive. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Lynx remain the favorites to win the championship. They're the top team in the WNBA standings at 31-8 and are the only team with fewer than 10 losses this season.
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