Olivia Miles was a no-brainer selection as All-Star starter after the sizzling start to her WNBA career.
Her Minnesota Lynx teammate, Kayla McBride, topped the lists of All-Star snubs after missing the cut following two straight selections to the game.
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Both looked very much the All-Star part as they combined for 70 points Monday night to lead the Lynx in a 104-100 rally past the Phoenix Mercury. McBride dropped a season-high 37 points for her fourth consecutive effort with 23 or more. Miles added 33 points for the highest tally of her All-Star rookie campaign.
Miles, McBride hit big buckets down the stretch
An Alyssa Thomas bucket extended a Mercury lead to 77-69 to start the fourth quarter. But Miles caught fire from deep with three 3-pointers in four Minnesota possessions. Her third of the run gave the Lynx and 80-79 lead.
Then, with the game tied at 89, it was McBride’s turn to take over with a little help from Miles. McBride hit a catch-and-shoot 3 off a behind-the-back pass from Miles to give the Lynx a 92-89 advantage.
Then with 43.4 seconds remaining, McBride hit another 3 to break a 98-98 tie and give the Lynx the lead for good. This one, from the corner, also arrived courtesy of an assist from Miles.
McBride filled up the box score on a red-hot shooting night, adding 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks and 1 assist to her 37 points. She shot 11 of 17 from the field, 6 of 11 from 3 and 9 of 9 from the line.
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Miles was also scorching hot while adding 8 assists and 3 rebounds to her 33 points. She shot 10 of 16 from the field, 5 of 8 from 3 and 8 of 9 from the stripe.
With the win, the Lynx improved their WNBA-best record to 18-6. This is a team that’s yet to play this season with last season’s MVP runner-up, Napheesa Collier.
Collier’s been sidelined after undergoing offseason surgery on both of her ankles. But she’s returned to practice and is expected to return to game action soon. She’ll do so for a team that so far been the best in the WNBA, even without her.
