For the first time in this season, Olivia Miles looked like a human. After reaping off defenses against top teams like the Los Angeles Sparks, the No. 2 draftee got a reality check against the Golden State Valkyries as she recorded one of her most disastrous performances in the season so far.

Now, after her rookie setback, head coach Cheryl Reeve has doubled down on it in her post-game presser.

“I mean Liv, she needed a game like this,” Reeve said. “This was a tremendous growth point for her when things don’t go your way, how do you show up? And what she showed us is that she’ll show up on the defensive end.”

Cheryl Reeve’s assessment does make sense. This was one of the times when the entire defense zeroed in on her to limit her skills and cut off Minnesota’s golden rookie. Notably, Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said even before the game that her team was looking to guard her well, something they couldn’t do when these two teams met last time.

For context, Miles scored 28 points in the last face-off between Golden State and Minnesota. She even nailed down eight three-pointers to clinch her team a win. However, on Friday, it wasn’t the case at the Chase Center. The Valkyries’ defense locked her up to just seven points.

To be specific, she couldn’t nail down a single three-pointer in the game and scored just once from the field. Five of her points also came from the free throw line. In short, it was one of those games when Miles really had to scratch through for any contribution in the game.

At the end of the game, Olivia Miles finished with five rebounds and four assists. But she also gave away six turnovers. But Cheryl Reeve was quite pleased with her rookie’s performance, especially the tenacity she showed in the closing moments.

The Minnesota guard produced a game-winning block with just over 13 seconds remaining in the game to stop Cecilia Zandalasini from scoring a three-pointer and bridge the gap between the two teams. The block eventually kept Minnesota’s lead alive as the Lynx clinched a back-and-forth win.

“You know kind of a game-sealing block, and rebounding the basketball, closing it out with free throws, and she didn’t quit,” Reeve added in the presser. “It would have been easy to kind of be frustrated, but I said, “We’re not hiding from this. We’re going to stand right in it, and we’re going to keep working, working, and see what we can find.”

Nevertheless, Cheryl Reeve and the Minnesota Lynx got an opportunity to test themselves in Miles’ torrid night against the Valkyries. For most of the games this season, it has mostly been Miles who has carried the scoring for the team. But against the Valkyries, it was different, and head coach Reeve was quick to appreciate the contributors in this win.

Cheryl Reeve Heaps Praise on Her Team’s Veterans After the Win Over Golden State Valkyries

With Olivia Miles struggling with turnovers, the Minnesota Lynx needed someone to step up and anchor the team’s offense. With players like Cecilia Zandalasini and Gabby Williams firing all cylinders for the Golden State, the Lynx were pushed back immensely in the first half of the game.

That is when the team’s veterans, Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride, stepped up. Williams recorded a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds while McBride had 17 on the night to guide the team to a victory. Subsequently, in the post-game presser, Reeve didn’t hesitate to highlight their contributions in the team’s win.

“We needed Courtney Williams and Mac to compete,” Reeve said. “Courtney’s first five minutes were forgettable. And then she played the remainder of the game exactly as we needed to.”

Nia Coffey also stepped up her game at the Ballhalla. She led the night for Minnesota with 22 points. Nevertheless, Reeve needs to have a direct conversation with Miles in the coming days to help her regain her composure after her setback in the Valkyries’ game.

Furthermore, it’s important that Miles returns to her tempo as quickly as possible, given her crucial role as the team’s playmaker. Cheryl Reeve and Minnesota’s next challenge is against the Washington Mystics on June 21 at the Target Center.