Miles' 1st dud as pro a chance to grow, Lynx say

Olivia Miles has first dud as pro, but Lynx see chance to growKendra AndrewsJun 20, 2026, 02:22 AM ETMultiple Authors

Lynx’s Miles sizzles in record half, finishes with 31

After Golden State’s Cecilia Zandalasini made a 3-pointer to bring the Valkyries within two with 21.8 seconds remaining, Miles made two free throws and sealed the victory by blocking Zandalasini’s 3-point attempt on the next play.

Miles became the third rookie in franchise history to record three steals and three blocks in a game, joining Napheesa Collier and Rashanda McCants.

Reeve credited the Valkyries’ defense for stifling Miles on offense.

“She saw physicality, she saw aggressive trapping. They play hard, and they fly around, they protect the paint,” Reeve mentioned. “It would have been easy to be frustrated, but we are not going to hide from this. We are going to stand right in this and keep working and see what we can find. The gravity to her was terrific for the rest of our team. … Maybe her numbers weren’t gaudy, but the impact she still had on the game was tremendous.”

Lynx rookie Olivia Miles, middle, was held to seven points on 1-of-10 shooting Friday night but contributed two late free throws and a critical block in an 81-75 win. Kelley L Cox/Imagn ImagesLynx veterans Courtney Williams, Nia Coffey and Kayla McBride led the way for Minnesota. Coffey finished with a team-high 22 points, while Williams had 21 points and 12 rebounds for her first 20-point double-double since August 2024.

“I’ve been doing this for a little minute now — a long minute,” Williams mentioned. “So whatever I can help them with, I take pride in it, being a good vet. The reality is, I am going to be a part of Liv’s journey for the rest of her life now, just like my vet was for me.”

Coffey added: “It’s better [for Miles] to learn early in her career. You don’t want this to happen for the first time in the playoffs. It’s a growing and learning situation, so I’m glad it’s happening. It also shows us a different side of us. We can trust each other, we can respect each other during those moments.”

Reeve described her team’s performance early in Friday’s game as underwhelming and mentioned the Valkyries “dominated” the Lynx in the first half. Golden State built as much as a 12-point lead, but Minnesota was able to get within three by halftime.

In the locker room, the Lynx’s biggest conversation was about how they were playing on their heels instead of dictating the tempo, especially on defense. They started the third quarter on a 12-5 run. In the fourth, Minnesota held Golden State to 4-for-22 shooting.

“You don’t get better when you don’t go through this kind of game,” Coffey mentioned. “It helps us understand how to play as a team, how to handle those different moments, how to stay together. Things aren’t always going to go our way, so I think we made some good strides.”