Caitlin Clark’s fans wasted no time going after Olivia Miles after the Minnesota Lynx guard struggled against the Golden State Valkyries on Friday night. Miles recorded her worst offensive performance, tallying seven points, four assists and six turnovers, while shooting 1 of 10 from the field.
Nevertheless, the Lynx won 81-75 and Miles got a clutch block to help them retain a 79-75 lead after her turnover gave Golden State a chance to cut it down to three. The rookie had three steals and three blocks on the night, so she didn’t completely struggle.
However, past comments about Miles being better than Clark irked the Fever star’s supporters, who criticized the Lynx guard on X. Here are some of the reactions:
Lynx HC Cheryl Reeve says Olivia Miles faced “actual defense”
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve also believes Olivia Miles faced “actual defense” in Friday’s win over the Valkyries. Reeve lauded Golden State’s tenacity and compared her team’s defense to Natalie Nakase’s players.
“Us and them are the two best defensive teams in the league, so what she saw is actual defense. She saw physicality …,” Reeve said (via WNBA reporter Andrew Dukowitz). “She needed a game like this; this was a tremendous growth point for her. When things don’t go your way, how do you show up and what she showed is she’ll show up on the defensive end, a game-sealing block.”
The defensive coverage on Olivia Miles has seemingly been less intense than that faced by players like Caitlin Clark, but it won’t be surprising if teams take the Golden State Valkyries’ blueprint for guarding the Lynx star. It will be intriguing to see how soon she can work her way around aggressive coverages like this moving forward.
Read more:
- Caitlin Clark Assures Nobody’s Better Suited Than Stephanie White to Coach Her, Admits it Can Get “Difficult”
- Jason Whitlock Rips Caitlin Clark’s Leadership While Touting Angel Reese’s On-Court Maturity
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
