Kayla McBride, the All-Star snub, teamed up with rookie sensation Olivia Miles Monday night to absolutely light up the Phoenix Mercury, combining for an unbelievable 70 points in a 104-100 rally. This duo single-handedly showed why the Minnesota Lynx are sitting on the WNBA's best record, proving they are a force no one can sleep on.
The All-Star Snub and the Rookie Took Over
Seriously, what a show these two put on. Olivia Miles, already a no-brainer All-Star starter after her sizzling start to the season, poured in 33 points, marking the highest tally of her rookie campaign. She was absolutely scorching hot, hitting 10 of 16 from the field, 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, and 8 of 9 from the stripe, all while dishing out 8 assists and grabbing 3 rebounds. Then there's Kayla McBride. This woman was an All-Star snub, people! After making it two years straight, she missed the cut. You think she forgot that? Nah. McBride went off for a season-high 37 points, making it her fourth consecutive game with 23 or more. She dropped dimes, snatched rebounds, and swatted shots, adding 6 boards, 4 steals, 2 blocks, and 1 assist. McBride shot a ridiculous 11 of 17 from the field, 6 of 11 from three-point range, and was perfect 9 of 9 from the free throw line. That's a statement, plain and simple.Clutch Buckets Sealed the Deal
The Mercury thought they had something going, stretching their lead to 77-69 to start the fourth quarter after an Alyssa Thomas bucket. But Miles quickly shut that down. She caught fire from deep, draining three 3-pointers in just four Minnesota possessions. Her third one in that run gave the Lynx an 80-79 lead, and you could feel the momentum shift. Then, with the game knotted at 89, it was McBride's turn to deliver the knockout punches, with a little help from Miles, of course. McBride buried a catch-and-shoot 3 off a ridiculous behind-the-back pass from Miles, giving the Lynx a 92-89 edge. And just to put an exclamation mark on it, with only 43.4 seconds left and the game tied at 98, McBride hit another clutch 3 from the corner, again thanks to an assist from Miles, sealing the win for good. That's how you close out a game.The Best Record in the League, Without Their MVP Runner-Up
With this gritty comeback win, the Lynx pushed their WNBA-best record to an impressive 18-6. And here's the crazy part: they've done all of this without last season's MVP runner-up, Napheesa Collier. She's been sidelined recovering from offseason surgery on both ankles. But guess what? Collier is back at practice and is expected to return to game action soon. The thought of this team, already the best in the WNBA, adding Collier back into the mix? Opponents better start taking notes. It's going to be a wild ride.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.