Lynx vs. Aces: Olivia Miles Scores 26, Napheesa Collier Adds 22 as Minnesota Improves to WNBA-Best 26-7

Olivia Miles banked one in from just past half court at the first-quarter buzzer on Saturday, and that was somehow only the second-best thing the Minnesota Lynx rookie did with her afternoon. The best came two quarters later, when she twice found Napheesa Collier wide open with the Las Vegas Aces breathing down Minnesota's neck.

Miles finished with 26, Collier had 22, and Minnesota took down Las Vegas 98-87 at Target Center, pushing the league's best record to 26-7. If you were hoping this partnership would take a while to figure out, tough luck. The AP notes they have played just six games together.

A Shootout, a Bank Shot and a Bench Sequence

The first quarter was a track meet. Las Vegas jumped out 10-4 before an 11-0 Minnesota run flipped it in about two minutes, and Kayla McBride made all four of her 3s before the quarter was out. Then came Miles' heave for a 28-25 lead, the kind of shot that makes a building feel like the game has already been decided in its favor.

It had not. The Lynx got to six ahead in the second before Jackie Young drew a foul beyond the arc and made all three, and later trips to the line for Young and NaLyssa Smith pulled the Aces within a point. Collier then found Miles atop the key for a 3 that sent Minnesota to the locker room up 49-45.

The third quarter is where the reserves earned their checks. Dorka Juhasz, playing just 10 minutes on the day, fed Courtney Williams for a 3 and then buried one herself off a Williams pass on the next trip, finishing an 8-0 run for a 66-55 lead. Las Vegas came right back with seven straight, led by Young's three-point play, to make it 66-62.

The fourth brought the ugliest moment of the day for the Aces. With 7:00 left and Minnesota up 78-72, Jewell Loyd was whistled for a flagrant on a wild closeout of McBride's jumper. McBride made all three, Collier added two more at the line seconds later, and Natasha Howard's bucket made it 85-72. Las Vegas got back within 92-85 on Dana Evans' pull-up with 1:39 left, but Collier, Miles and Howard scored the last three Lynx baskets to close it out.

The Rookie and the Returning Star

Miles shot 11 of 23, added seven assists and scored 10 in the fourth quarter alone. There were five turnovers in there too, because she plays like a person who has never once considered a safe option. The No. 2 pick in April's draft carried a lot while Collier was out recovering from ankle surgery, and she knows the job has changed.

"I kind of had to take on a little bit more of a load without her on the court," Miles said. "Now we're kind of learning how to share the space and get each other touches in the right moments, and I think we're doing a good job with it."

Collier made it look simple: 22 points on 14 shots, 5 of 7 from deep, plus six boards, three blocks and three assists in 35 minutes. Coach Cheryl Reeve was not exactly losing sleep over the fit. "It's not hard to integrate Phee," she said. "She just knows how to play."

The supporting cast was just as sharp. Howard had 17 points, six assists and eight rebounds, six of them offensive. Williams filled every column with 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and her plus-17 led all players. McBride finished with 15.

Young led Las Vegas with 23 and went a perfect 8 of 8 at the line, though she also had five turnovers. A'ja Wilson was not herself, scoring 16 with eight rebounds on 5-of-17 shooting and committing five turnovers of her own. Smith gave the Aces 14 points and 11 rebounds, five of them offensive.

Two Passes, Two 3s

This game flipped on a pair of possessions late in the third. Las Vegas had just cut an 11-point lead to four with about two minutes left in the period, and one more stop might have turned the fourth into a coin flip. Instead Miles drew the defense and found Collier, who hit from 22 feet. Next trip, same idea, this time from 24. Just like that the cushion was back to 10, Collier tacked on a free throw for seven straight of her own, and Las Vegas got within five early in the fourth but never closer.

Stats That Matter

• 3-pointers: Minnesota went 15 of 29, Las Vegas 10 of 27. That is 15 extra points.
• Steals: Minnesota 10, Las Vegas 3.
• Assists: Minnesota 24, Las Vegas 17.
• Free throws: The Aces went 17 of 18 and the Lynx 9 of 10, so Las Vegas won that battle by eight and lost anyway.
• Ball security: Wilson and Young combined for 10 turnovers.

Clinched, Sort Of

Minnesota is 26-7 overall and 13-5 at home after shaking off Thursday's 89-82 loss to Los Angeles. The season series with Las Vegas is level after the Aces won 100-97 on June 13. The Lynx also announced on social media that they had clinched a playoff berth, only for the WNBA to say that some unlikely tiebreaker scenarios still stood in the way, according to the AP. So the paperwork is pending. Dallas comes to town on Sunday.

Las Vegas fell to 22-10 and 13-5 on the road, ending a two-game winning streak. There is no time to sulk, since the Aces play in New York on Sunday, less than 24 hours after this one tipped.

Did We Just Become Best Friends?

The best exchange of the day came after the buzzer. Asked what Collier brings on defense, Miles said, "Effort, IQ, consistency, knowledge of the game, experience. I mean, I could go on and on." Collier, enjoying herself, shot back, "What else do you need to know about me?" She eventually told her rookie, "Thanks, Liv," and Miles turned to the reporter with the only possible follow-up: "Now ask her about me!"

It played like the best-friends moment from Step Brothers, only with a 26-7 record attached. Minnesota fans are already daydreaming about the teams that won four titles in the 2010s. Six games in, it is hard to tell them to stop.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Postgame quotes and game details as reported by the Associated Press.