Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles said that guarding Kelsey Mitchell was her baptism of fire in the WNBA.
On Sunday, the blockbuster matchup between Minnesota and the Indiana Fever took place at Target Center, and the home team secured a 108-100 victory.
The Lynx’s rookie sensation gave Mitchell her flowers during her post-game interview. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft even said that keeping up with Mitchell on the defensive end was her welcome-to-the-WNBA moment.
“It’s so fun playing with great guards,” Miles said. “You know, Kelsey Mitchell’s really the one killing us right now. I’m just kinda in awe watching her, like this is lowkey my welcome to the W moment, just trying to guard her. But it’s so fun, you know. We have respect for each other, so it’s fun.”
Both players went head-to-head throughout the game, with Miles finishing with 28 points, four rebounds and six assists. Mitchell, on the other hand, produced the game-high 37 points along with one board and three dimes.
Other than Miles, her backcourt partner Courtney Williams also took a heavy load on offense with her 27 points, four rebounds and five assists.
Minnesota’s three other starters added double-digit outputs with Napheesa Collier’s 18 points, Natasha Howard’s 13 points and Kayla McBride’s 10 points.
With this win, the Lynx have extended their win streak to 10 and snapped Indiana’s own five-game win streak. Furthermore, they have further solidified their place at the top of the league standings with a 25-6 record.
Miles is also a frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award, as she’s averaging 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 29 games.
