Red-hot rookie Olivia Miles leads Lynx into clash with Sparks

While pursuing their second winning streak of at least four games this season, the Minnesota Lynx have had a knack for keeping things interesting.

Owner of the league's best record, Minnesota (18-6) seeks a more comfortable showing on Wednesday afternoon when it hosts the Los Angeles Sparks (10-12) in Minneapolis.

The Lynx have had to mount fourth-quarter rallies in each of their last three wins. On Monday, they trailed by eight in the opening minute of the final quarter before an offensive outburst lifted the club to a 104-100 victory over the Phoenix Mercury.

Kayla McBride and rookie Olivia Miles combined for 70 points in Monday's win, helping the highest-scoring offense in the Western Conference (90.6 points per game) reach triple digits for the fifth time this year.

Miles, in particular, has turned heads just two months into her pro career. With her 33-point, eight-assist outing, the No. 2 overall pick out of TCU became the fastest player in league history to reach 400 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists (22 games).

"There have been tremendous players in the league, so I just can't say enough," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. "Her impact on our team, just the magnitude of it, shouldn't be understated. ... The success of the team is on her shoulders and it's impressive how she's handled it."

Miles' 19.4 points per game lead the Lynx, while McBride adds 17.0 per night and Natasha Howard averages 16.8.

Los Angeles enters the difficult matchup having dropped six of its last nine games. The Sparks also have gone 1-12 against the Lynx since the beginning of the 2023 season, which includes a 99-83 loss on June 17 in Los Angeles.

Coach Lynne Roberts' team has been dealt bad luck on the injury front throughout the year. Kelsey Plum (team-high 23.9 points per game) hasn't played since June 21 with a lower leg injury. Former No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink has appeared in just 14 games -- none after June 15 due to a sprained ankle.

"We can't be entirely outcome-driven. We haven't been healthy all year," Roberts said. "The roster that we had on paper has not been the roster that we've played with. That's hard on the players. It's tough to gain consistency. But that's what it is. We have to just keep chopping wood."

Fifteen-year veteran Nneka Ogwumike leads the healthy Sparks with 17.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while Dearica Hamby averages 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds.

--Field Level Media