Through four weeks in the WNBA season, the Minnesota Lynx are the best team in the league and haven’t lost a game since May 17. As we all expected.
Let’s look at how Minnesota did over the past week, and some main storylines from the week that was.
Week in Review
A new month is here, but the Lynx have remained red-hot and finished the past week 3-0 to extend their league-best winning streak and record.
Minnesota blew out Phoenix on the road before returning home for back-to-back victories.
- Monday, June 1: Lynx 111, Mercury 77
- Thursday, June 4: Lynx 87, Valkyries 84
- Saturday, June 6: Lynx 88, Storm 68
WEEK 1:
OFFRTG: 104.8 (10th) DEFRTG:
105.5 (9th) NETRTG: -0.6 (10th) eFG%: 55.3 (3rd) TOV%: 18.7 (10th) OREB%: 28.2 (11th)
WEEK 2:
OFFRTG: 107.3 (9th) ↑
DEFRTG: 100.4 (2nd) ↑↑
NETRTG: 6.9 (3rd) ↑↑
eFG%: 54.8 (4th) ↓
TOV%: 20.2 (13th) ↓
OREB%: 35.6 (2nd) ↑↑
WEEK 3:
OFFRTG: 107.1 (8th) ↑
DEFRTG: 96.8 (1st) ↑
NETRTG: 10.3 (1st) ↑↑
eFG%: 54.8 (2nd) –
TOV%: 19.4 (9th) ↑
OREB%: 34.0 (3rd) ↓
WEEK 4:
OFFRTG: 110.9 (2nd) ↑↑↑
DEFRTG: 97.1 (1st) –
NETRTG: 13.9 (1st) –
eFG%: 55.5 (1st) ↑
TOV%: 18.7 (9th) –
OREB%: 36.0 (3rd) ↑
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Minnesota hasn’t just continued to have a nice start to the season, it can’t seem to lose and is getting better and better as the season continues. Oh, and did we mention this has been without the Lynx’s best player?
Without Napheesa Collier, the Lynx have emerged as the best team in the WNBA a month into the season, sitting with a league-best 9-2 record to go along with a seven-game winning streak.
And what is most impressive is how Minnesota is doing it. The Lynx have been the best defensive team in the league through 11 games, giving up an average of 78.4 points with a defensive rating of 97.1 — both league-best marks.
But the offense has improved as the games add up. The Lynx have risen to second in the WNBA in offensive rating (110.9), trailing only Dallas’ league-leading mark of 112.7. Minnesota has averaged a league-best 90.3 points per game, while leading the WNBA in shooting (49.9%) and ranking second in three-point percentage (37.1%).
This team isn’t just shining on defense, they are doing it on both ends of the floor — and doing it well. And the scary thing for other WNBA teams? It will only improve once Collier returns to the floor.
Rookie of the Month … and Year?
Yes, we are just a month into the WNBA season and A LOT can happen over the final 30-plus games, but Olivia Miles already looks like the Rookie of the Year.
Miles has stormed onto the scene and has hit the ground running in her professional career, earning herself Rookie of the Month honors for her first eight games in May where she averaged 15.4 points, 5.9 assists and 5.1 rebounds per contest. It’s safe to assume this won’t be the last monthly honor for the rookie before her first season is over with.
Through 11 games this season, Miles has averaged a team-best 17.2 points, 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks over 30.6 minutes, while shooting 51.9% from the field, 34.4% from three and 89.8% from the free throw line.
This is a rookie in her first 11 career games, y’all.
The rookie is the real deal, and she continues to show it every single night while carrying herself and playing like a player who has been in the league for years.
If this trend continues, when the season is all said and done, the Lynx will have themselves another Rookie of the Year.
