After a cold start from 3-point range in her rookie season, Olivia Miles broke out in a big way on Thursday by shattering a Caitlin Clark rookie record.
Miles drilled eight 3-pointers in an 87-84 win for the Minnesota Lynx over the Golden State Valkyries. It was part of a 28-point performance for the star rookie, whose adherence to Minnesota’s longstanding principles is ensuring that the Lynx won’t skip a beat while they wait patiently for All-Star Napheesa Collier to return from ankle surgery.
Miles, the second overall pick in April’s WNBA Draft, is spearheading the Lynx’s charge to the WNBA’s best record without Collier. Minnesota is 8-2 amid a six-game winning streak; Cheryl Reeve’s team has the league’s No. 1 offense, its No. 1 defense and the No. 1 net rating.
OLIVIA MILES TONIGHT 🔥
• 28 POINTS
• 7 ASSISTS
• 4 REBOUNDS
• 3 BLOCKS
• 8/11 3PM (!!!!)
• 9/16 FG
• 28 MINUTES PLAYED pic.twitter.com/TOvIzcmxhu
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) June 5, 2026
MORE: Olivia Miles breaks Caitlin Clark’s WNBA rookie record in stunning performance against Valkyries
This is all by design. Even after Reeve’s pursuit of free agent Nneka Ogwumike fell short in the spring, and even after the Lynx lost Bridget Carleton, Natisha Hiedeman, Jessica Shepard and Alanna Smith in the truncated offseason, Minnesota has kept on winning anyway.
How? By taking their vitamins.
In this context, “vitamins” are the fundamental principles Reeve has instilled in her players since she became Minnesota’s head coach in 2010.
“Our defense, our shell help, just our everyday vitamins — we lean on those things,” All-Star guard Courtney Williams told ESPN in a feature published Friday. “That’s our foundation of what makes us a great team.”
Taking their vitamins has helped the Lynx win four WNBA titles with Reeve in charge, and Minnesota was primed to play in the Finals last season until Collier injured her ankle during the semifinal round.
“If we stay away from the things that we just don’t want to do, are we going to go perfectly?” Reeve asked ESPN’s Kareem Copeland. “No, but we can repeat things, simple things, over and over and over again. And that’s our goal.”
And now, thanks to taking care of the fundamentals and seamlessly integrating Miles into their culture, the Lynx are still hanging out at the top of the standings.
“We all just love to get involved, get touches,” Miles told ESPN. “We know we’re really hard to guard when we swing the ball from side to side, when everyone is touching the ball at any given moment. Cheryl just puts us in positions to be successful.”
How the Lynx have survived — and thrived — without Napheesa Collier https://t.co/kxIlANyYZJ
— Kareem Copeland (@kareemcopeland) June 5, 2026 More WNBA news: