Olivia Miles’ preseason debut didn’t quite give her what she was looking for in terms of a genuine WNBA test. “I don’t think this game was a fair test just because they’re a bunch of young rooks too. So it kind of was like playing against college girls who I literally were just playing against,” she said at the time. Well, she got the real thing on Sunday. A proper, physical, high-stakes WNBA game against the Atlanta Dream on opening night. And it felt every bit as different as advertised.

Speaking in her postgame interview, Miles didn’t shy away from describing just how much the step up registered. “Was feeling it wind-wise. You know that the pace and the intensity is different. Obviously, you’re being really physical both on and off the ball,” she said. But beyond the physical adjustment, Miles left the court carrying the weight of the result. She felt the narrow 91-90 loss quite personally. “I’m kind of beating myself up for the end there,” she admitted.

And yet, for all the self-criticism, Olivia Miles actually gave a remarkable account of herself on the night. She led her team with 21 points and eight assists. She also added three rebounds, two steals and two blocks in a performance that would have been considered an exceptional debut by virtually any measure. It was in fact, also a record-breaking outing. She became just the fifth player in WNBA history to record at least 20 points and 5 assists in her first game.

But the record provides little comfort when the scoreboard tells a different story. The loss was a painful one, not because the Lynx were outplayed, but because they were so close to winning it. They actually led for 96 percent of the game. At one point in the game, they were even holding a 19-point advantage over the Dream. To find a way to lose from that position makes the defeat hit considerably harder than a straightforward one would have.

Disappointing as it is, the next opportunity arrives quickly. The Minnesota Lynx will now face the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, and Miles will need to channel the frustration rather than let it linger. Fortunately, her teammates appear to have her back in that regard. “My teammates are assuring me I’ll learn. I can’t wait to just grow after every game and see more and more and learn more and more,” she said. 

See more? More wins will definitely come. But so will more losses. Hopefully the wins outweighs the losses enough to even get close to their last season’s franchise-best record of 34-10.

“Big Time for Us”: Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Praises Olivia Miles After Strong Debut Performance

Losing 91–90 after leading for the vast majority of the game was a difficult pill to swallow for the Minnesota Lynx. But amid the disappointment, there were genuine positives to draw from the night. Chief among them was the record-breaking performance of Olivia Miles, who announced her arrival in the WNBA in a way that was impossible to ignore.

Speaking in her postgame press conference, head coach Cheryl Reeve was candid and effusive in her assessment of what Miles brought to the floor. “She played great. She did a lot of things well, she learned a lot, I’m sure. You know, it’s her first game, but she was big time for us,” Reeve said.

And Reeve wasn’t the only one singing Miles’ praises in the aftermath. Teammate Courtney Williams, who has been one of Miles’ loudest supporters since their very first day of practice together, didn’t hold back either. Williams described her as “a little killer” and went as far as calling her “a little baby Chelsea Gray.” Williams even revealed that she found herself stepping aside during the game to let Miles operate. “I said, ‘Look, let me move out your way. Let you do what you do best,'” she said with a laugh. “I’m happy to have her. I’m excited just to be a part of the journey,” Williams added.

That journey continues on Tuesday when the Lynx travel to face the Phoenix Mercury at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Every indication points to Miles once again being a central figure in the game plan. And after what she showed on opening night, the expectation is that her impact will only grow. Hopefully this time, the performance translates into the win that eluded them against Atlanta.