After a previous one game week due to the Commissioner’s Cup final, the Minnesota Lynx were back to regularly scheduled programming. It looked like it would be predictable week, as Minnesota matched up against the league-worst Connecticut Sun twice followed by a rematch against the Commissioner Cup winning New York Liberty, but what unfolded wasn’t so.
Week in Review
During Minnesota’s loss against New York a week ago, the most devastating part wasn’t the result. It was All-Star starter Olivia Miles exiting the game
late due to what the team called “calf cramps.” Given the current trend of lingering calf injuries turning into something worse, the Lynx understandably held Miles out against a pair of games against the 4-16 Sun. Surely, this would be a good opportunity to rest Miles, right?
Not exactly.
Minnesota played like a team that many had expected them to play like heading into the season. In game one, team captains Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams popped off for 51 points on over 50% shooting combined, but they didn’t get much else from the rest of the team. They surely couldn’t handle the size of a nearly 36-year-old Brittney Griner (game-high 29 points). The rest of the long-armed Sun rotation players gave the Lynx fits, and without a true point guard on the floor, the offense sputtered. The one-point loss didn’t quite express how thoroughly Minnesota got outplayed.
They got a chance at an immediate rematch. Still without Miles (or Napheesa Collier), the tanking Sun decided to hold out Griner. Surely, the Lynx would course correct at home, right?
Not exactly.
Just like what unfolded 48 hours ago, Minnesota still couldn’t find a rhythm. They trailed by five at halftime, and it increased to six by the start of the final quarter. The Lynx looked nothing like the team that had climbed atop the standings for the entire season. However, after being clogged up for just about three straight games, the Lynx exploded from beyond the arc. Five triples between the European pair of Antonia Delaere and the newly returned Dorka Juhász helped them pull ahead late. A 26-15 fourth quarter helped Cheryl Reeve finally usurp Mike Thibault as the winningest head coach in WNBA history.
The good vibes continued into their rematch against the Liberty on Friday. Olivia Miles, who just got a cover on SLAM magazine, returned to the starting lineup. Their defense frustrated the bigger New York team as they built a sizeable double-digit lead early in the third quarter. Unfortunately, the officials reared their ugly heads and helped spur a huge Sabrina Ionescu led run. They even took a multiple possession lead of their own, snatching momentum at Target Center.
Kayla McBride wouldn’t led the Lynx slip though. She nearly matched a 19-point Ionescu third period with a 14-point fourth quarter of her own, dialing in four triples to help Minnesota reclaim the lead and the victory. A great way to end the week.
- Monday, July 6: Sun 90, Lynx 89
- Wednesday, July 8: Lynx 86, Sun 80
- Friday, July 10: Lynx 90, Liberty 85
WEEK 8:
OFFRTG: 110.7 (3rd)
DEFRTG: 98.9 (1st)
NETRTG: 11.8 (1st)
eFG%: 53.8 (4th)
FTr: 24.1 (15th)
TOV%: 17.3 (8th)
OREB%: 34.2 (2nd)
WEEK 9:
OFFRTG: 110.8 (4th) –
DEFRTG: 100.1 (1st) –
NETRTG: 10.8 (1st) –
eFG%: 53.6 (4th) –
FTr: 25.3 (14th) ↑
TOV%: 17.3 (8th) –
OREB%: 34.2 (2nd) –
Miles Apart
The eye test would make it seem like the two games Olivia Miles missed completely changed the offense. But when you dig deeper into the numbers, their \numbers didn’t change a whole lot even in their two ugly performances against Connecticut.
It was the defensive drop off that was most drastic.
Their defensive rating dropped by over seven points against a team that has the second worst offensive rating. The connective tissue that Miles offers extended far beyond having someone control the levers on offense. It’s not unusual to see the rookie rotate over as the low man to get a deflection, or frustrate a ball handler in the open court, or jump a passing lane. It’s evidenced by her 2.2 stocks (steals + blocks) per game which is third on the team behind Natasha Howard and Nia Coffey.
When you consider just how badly the Lynx struggled against the bottom dwelling Sun without Miles, then defeated the championship contending Liberty with Miles, it’s impossible to ignore the Most Valuable Player case that has been building for the 23-year-old point guard.
KMac Attack is Back
Lost through the excellent start to Minnesota’s season was the subpar shooting splits of Kayla McBride (by her standards). In the first 20 games of the season, the 34-year-old veteran was posting splits of .413/.344/.885. In this three game week? It spiked to .522/.524/.944.
The Mac was back.
It’s normal for scorers of McBride’s caliber to go through hot and cold streaks. When she’s on a heater, it’s definitely one of those “Get your ass to the TV” situations. Her points per game also jumped to 25.3 points this week. Even on the other side of the court, she’s averaged two steals per game taking on the most difficult assignments as usual.
Something tells me a Player of the Week honor might be around the corner.
Dorka’s Return
The long awaited return of the Lynx backup center, Dorka Juhász, finally came to an end last Monday. It didn’t come in a win and she looked quite rusty, to say the least, but it was a great to see another rotation player join the lineup. The last time she had played a game for Minnesota was during the 2024 WNBA finals.
624 days ago.
The All-Rookie Team center’s second game was much more productive. She led the bench with 12 points including a game-high four triples, including a game-sealing dagger. That was the most she’s ever made in a WNBA game. What’s most interesting about her three game sample size (SSS alert) is that she’s bumped her three-point attempts per game from 1.1 across her first two seasons in the W all the way up to 4.7. She’s converted at a highly respectable 35.7% rate. For reference, Alanna Smith shot 32.9% last season.
The size, defense, and newfound floor spreading ability will do wonders for the Lynx this season. Juhász is still getting into midseason form so I would expect her impact to be even more profound in the near future. Meanwhile, Cheryl Reeve has mentioned a few times that Napheesa Collier’s return is “soon,” so Minnesota fans will soon see what they look like at full strength.
