Olivia Miles made her first bucket of Wednesday night's game against the Golden State Valkyries early in the first quarter. It was a pull-up jumper from the left elbow, and the broadcast camera zoomed in on her face as she backpedaled down the court. After a moment of thought, she said something to herself: "They can't fucking guard me."
Perhaps it was a needed reminder. The Valkyries, after all, boast the WNBA's most ferocious defense, and just two nights previous had reminded everyone how disruptive they can be for a young, dynamic guard. Paige Bueckers left Monday night's game against the Valks with 21 points, but she needed 18 shots to get there, turned the ball over seven times, and was minus-10 in an eight-point loss. That's life playing against the Valks, who defend high up the court, never stop swarming, and can unleash Gabby Willams and Veronica Burton on any opposing guard who looks too comfortable.
Except for Miles. Aside from a twisted ankle that forced her to the bench for the game's final minutes, Miles was about as comfortable as someone enjoying a post-meal snooze in their favorite recliner. As soon as the ball was tipped she went about extracting all the drama from this highly anticipated game between the league's top seeds, controlling the game with her playmaking and scoring. The Lynx won, 77-66, and never trailed for a second. Miles missed two shots all game, finished with 20 points and seven assists in 30 minutes, and only turned it over twice.
Remember the beginning of the season, when it looked like Miles wasn't going to be much of a shooter at the pro level? She started the season shooting 2-of-18 from deep, and then put an end to that brief phase of her career with a game, also a win against the Valkyries, in which she hit eight of 11 three-point attempts. From that game forward, Miles is shooting 44 percent from three on nearly five attempts per game.
These aren't weak-ass catch-and-shoots, either. Miles's shooting has gotten just as ostentatious and eyeball-grabbing as her playmaking, and her off-the-dribble, step-back threes are now just as much of a reason to watch as her no-look passes. Miles went 3-of-5 from deep on Wednesday night, and each of her makes was the kind of shot that's meant to demoralize an opponent, to remind them of who exactly they can and can't fucking guard. The first: an iso pull-up on the left wing right in Cecilia Zandalasini's face. The second: a left-to-right step-back on the right wing, from 26 feet out, that Burton defended well enough to nearly get her fingertips on. The third: the most important shot of the game.
The Valkyries had made things interesting with a big second-half run that cut Minnesota's 22-point lead to single digits. The Lynx were leading by nine with 5:43 left to play when Miles grabbed a rebound and streaked up the right side of the court. She drove right at Janelle Salaun, who was tracking her in transition. Miles sent her stumbling into the paint with a behind-the-back dribble, and then bounced from the free-throw line out beyond the arc before Salaun could regain her balance. With all the time in the world, Miles lined up her last three of the game and put the Lynx back up by 12.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase called an immediate timeout, at which point Miles was able to initiate her now-familiar Gremlin Mode, hunching and stomping and gesticulating her way back to the bench while unleashing a string of expletives. There was no need for the sotto voce she used in the first quarter. She could say it as loud as she wanted, because it's true: Nobody can fucking guard her.
