Olivia Miles scored a career-high 28 points and set a WNBA rookie record with eight 3-pointers as the Minnesota Lynx held off the Golden State Valkyries 87-84 for their sixth straight win.
MINNEAPOLIS — The moment Olivia Miles got loose from deep, it didn’t feel like Minnesota was simply making shots. It felt like the game was bending to her pace.
On Thursday night, Miles scored a career-high 28 points and set a WNBA rookie record with eight 3-pointers as the Minnesota Lynx beat the Golden State Valkyries 87-84 for their sixth straight victory.
Miles went 8 of 11 from 3-point range, surpassing Caitlin Clark and Crystal Robinson, who shared the previous rookie mark with seven. The No. 2 overall draft pick drilled a fifth straight 3 with 6:24 remaining in the first half to reach 17 points. while the rest of her teammates had just 14 at that point. She added her first two 3s of the third quarter.
Minnesota improved to 8-2, and it also stayed perfect in its matchup history against Golden State. The Lynx moved to 7-0 all-time against the Valkyries, who joined the league last season as an expansion team.
The finish turned into a test of nerve.
Minnesota trailed 75-70 with seven minutes remaining before scoring the next 11 points. After Golden State pulled within 86-84 with 33.8 seconds left. Courtney Williams dribbled down the clock and found Miles for a driving layup that rolled off the rim. The Lynx recovered the offensive rebound. and Williams went 1 of 2 at the foul line for a three-point lead with 5.4 seconds left.
An inadvertent whistle led to a jump ball that Golden State forward Cecilia Zandalasini secured with 3.8 seconds left. After a timeout, Zandalasini did not hit the rim on a contested 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Williams finished with 17 points. Kayla McBride added 14, and Natasha Howard had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota. The Lynx made 13 of 26 shots from distance.
For Golden State, Zandalasini led with 18 points. Janelle Salaun had five 3-pointers and 17 points, while Tiffany Hayes added 15.
Next up, Golden State plays at Las Vegas on Saturday. Minnesota continues a three-game homestand on Saturday against Seattle.
Olivia Miles Minnesota Lynx Golden State Valkyries WNBA rookie record eight 3-pointers Courtney Williams Kayla McBride Natasha Howard Cecilia Zandalasini