EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMINNEAPOLIS -- On a night when rookie star Olivia Miles made history again as the first WNBA player to reach 400 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists in 22 games, Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said she deserves her flowers."[Miles] is doing this and shouldering so much -- basically the entire team," Reeve said after the Lynx's 104-100 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Monday. "The success of the team is on her shoulders and that is impressive how she's handled it."Miles and teammate Kayla McBride (37 points) combined to score 70, the first time in Lynx history that two players scored 30 points or more and just the fifth time in WNBA history that a pair of players reached 70 points or more in regulation, according to ESPN Research.Miles scored 16 points in the fourth quarter alone to lead her team to a win over a struggling Mercury squad that's now lost four games in a row. Her 33 points -- she had eight assists, too -- were the most by a Lynx rookie and the 70 combined points for her and McBride were the No. 2 output by a duo in team history, behind the 74 points Maya Moore (48 points) and Lindsay Whalen (26 points), now an assistant with the current team, combined to score in a game in 2014, according to ESPN Research. That game, however, went into overtime.Miles, who was named a WNBA All-Star starter as a rookie, dazzled on Monday with the same breathtaking plays that have defined her stunning debut season. In the fourth quarter, she flung a left-handed curveball to the corner that landed in the hands of McBride, who connected on one of her six 3-pointers.Those plays from Miles during a chaotic game -- there were 23 lead changes and 13 ties -- made the difference for the Lynx, who were eliminated in the playoffs by the Mercury last season."I think [Miles] and I have kind of connected over the last couple of games in that space," said McBride, who scored at least 30 points for the eighth time in her career. "And she knows how I want to be my best version for her. And I want to continue to watch her just have as much fun as possible and enjoy this. She's just so talented and so competitive."Before Saturday's win over the New York Liberty, Reeve said the Lynx are still led by former MVP candidate Napheesa Collier, who recently returned to practice following offseason ankle surgeries and is expected to make her season debut soon. Regardless of the success of her young star, Reeve said it was premature to "anoint" any player with Collier sidelined.That said, Reeve also acknowledged on Monday that Miles might be in her own stratosphere at this stage of her career."She is the first player in [WNBA] history -- not the first rookie -- the first player in [WNBA] history to get 400 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists in 22 games," Reeve said. "And so I want you to digest that and think about that. There have been tremendous players in this league. And so again, this is not as compared to other rookies. I just can't say enough. I know what her impact on her team has been. The magnitude of it shouldn't be understated."With her team battling a relentless Mercury squad down the stretch of the game, Miles was clutch, going 4-for-5 (3-for-4 from the 3-point line) with three assists in the fourth quarter alone.As the Mercury continued to fight, the former TCU star said she knew her team needed more fan support."I was talking to [McBride] and she was telling me we need to get the crowd involved. I was like, 'OK, so hit a 3-pointer for me.' And then after that we literally just traded 3s," Miles said. "And so we know when the energy flips in our favor, Target Center shows up and they give us, obviously, loud crowd pops and a lot of energy and momentum that helps us get over that hump."Across the court, a disappointed Mercury squad said it hopes to gain some momentum in the days before the All-Star break. But the team's standouts also pointed toward Miles as a unique talent who has shocked the entire league."That's just unheard of -- the IQ she has as a rookie," said DeWanna Bonner, who is in her 17th season, about Miles. "So just kudos to her. She's done a good job this season."
