Olivia Miles is going through a rough stretch in her rookie season. After shooting 1-for-10 in Friday’s 81-75 win at Golden State, Miles committed a costly turnover on Sunday against Washington Mystics that may have directly led to the Lynx’s 84-79 loss. With 19.3 seconds left and the Lynx down one, Miles threw a loose pass to Nia Coffey, which went out of bounds off an in-bound play.
It was an unforced error, which gave the Mystics the cushion they needed to seal the win. The Lynx could have generated a shot attempt with 19.3 seconds left that would have put them up one or by two if they had hit a three-pointer. Instead, the turnover led to an extra offensive possession for Washington, which converted eight of its 10 free throws to win.
Miles had better stats this game than her last, with 22 points, five rebounds and six assists on 50.0% shooting.
For most of her young WNBA career, Miles has played like a polished veteran, drawing praise from analysts and players alike. Along with emerging as a clear Rookie of the Year favorite, Miles is gaining traction in MVP talks.
Her numbers back it up as she’s averaging 18.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting 54.2% from the field, including 36.0% from three and 91.7% from the free-throw line.
However, after two bad games, a section of WNBA fans has raised concerns about the media bias in favor of Miles. They expressed that the rookie isn’t criticized enough as other veterans or fellow rookies on her off nights.
Here are some of the reactions:
Olivia Miles accepts her mistake in the loss to Mystics
Olivia Miles accepted her fault for the costly turnover in the loss to the Mystics on Sunday. The rookie explained what went down after the game, saying the play was for Nia Coffey and if she couldn’t get it to her, Kayla McBride was her alternative.
“Yeah, the play was for Nia,” Miles said. “If Nia wasn’t there, I was supposed to get it to Mac, but a miscommunication there, that’s on me. I’ll be better, obviously not blaming anyone but myself, that’s why I’m a bit frustrated, but just a miscommunication and I’ll learn from it.”
It was just the Lynx’s fourth loss, so it didn’t leave a massive dent on their long-term aspirations. Miles has been solid for most of it, but like any rookie, or even a veteran, it’s not uncommon for her to have a rare unforced error.
The No. 2 pick will hope to bounce back when the Lynx return to action on Wednesday for their second game against the Mystics in three days.
Read more:
- Fans Erupt As Cheryl Reeve Furiously Confronts Referee Following Lynx-Mystics Scuffle
- Olivia Miles Draws Massive ‘Best Rookie’ Stamp of Approval From NBA Legend Kevin Garnett
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