Fresh off the All-Star break, Olivia Miles put in another highlight performance, helping the Minnesota Lynx win a hard-fought 100-93 game against the Toronto Tempo. Miles scored 24 points against the Tempo with some exceptional shooting. She made both of her free throws and got 4-5 from the three-point line. During one of those 3-pointer plays, she even bested Tempo star Marina Mabrey, who equalled the league record for the most points scored in a single game with 53.
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The Rookie of the Year contender successfully fended off Mabrey’s defensive challenge during the first quarter, scoring a 3-pointer that not only impressed Mabrey, who acknowledged it on the spot, but also made it into her personal highlight reel that the WNBA posted after the game.
That three-pointer came from 24 feet out in a step-back jumper over Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey. Despite getting beaten during the play, Mabrey appeared genuinely impressed, smiling and giving Miles a gentle tap on the side. Meanwhile, the rookie also said something which the mics couldn’t pick up; the broadcaster acknowledged, saying, “And she’s got something to say to Mabrey after that.”
Whatever Miles said to Mabrey seemed to be friendly enough, as both of them were smiling and didn’t clash during the game. But that shot may not even have been the most impressive moment Olivia Miles produced in that game. In the second quarter, she delivered an assist to Kayla McBride that also made it to the highlight reel.
Miles picked up a pass inside the arc and, faced with incoming defensive pressure from Teonni Key, chose not to go for the shot. Instead, she delivered the pass to McBride in the most extraordinary fashion, backward, through and between her legs, without fully looking back. The casual audacity of it was what made it breathtaking.
To cap off the impressive display, Miles finished the game with a team-high 24 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and one steal. She also shot an efficient 9-for-17 from the field and caught fire from beyond the arc, converting 4-of-5 three-point attempts. Only Marina Mabrey outscored her, but it was not enough as Toronto fell 100-93 to the Lynx.
So far, Olivia Miles is now averaging 19.5 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. And with every game, she makes a louder shout for the rookie of the year award. In fact, for the league MVP as well.
As for the Minnesota Lynx, they now sit at 23-6 on the season, still firmly at the top of the WNBA standings. They face the Toronto Tempo again in their next game and will be hoping to make it back-to-back wins over the same opponent. Given how Miles looked returning from the break, the Tempo may find that a difficult task.