By Jim Souhan
This was not the right way to prove that Olivia Miles is the WNBA MVP.
Perhaps, in a few weeks, we’ll look at this Lynx Lull as a good thing.
Right now, we’re watching a proud group of accomplished veterans embarrassing themselves, and the greatest coach in WNBA history struggling to rally them.
Maybe the starters will benefit from resting in most of their penultimate regular-season game. Right now, what we have are nagging facts:
-The Lynx have lost four of their last five games, with their only victory over an awful Connecticut team.
-Tuesday night in Indianapolis, the starters didn’t even bother to get back on defense, allowing the Fever to run a fast-break drill at will.
-What has been one of the worst collections of bench players in the league outplayed the starters by a wide margin, turning a blowout into a competitive game for a portion of the second half.
The excuse of the night for the Lynx was that rookie phenom Olivia Miles was out with a calf injury.
Her absence had nothing to do with poor defense, or invisible transition defense.
On Dawn of Sports this week, we spoke with Lea B. Olsen. She said that Aces star A’ja Wilson is the best player in the world.
Agreed.
I’m leaning toward Miles as the MVP of this season.
The MVP Award is a single-season, regular-season award. Miles is the reason the Lynx are the No. 1 seed. She was the dominant player on the league’s best team.
Tuesday night, we saw what the Lynx look like without her.
She should send the game film to MVP voters.
-The hot listen: Olsen discussed the next WNBA commissioner, Miles, and the Lynx’s preferred first-round opponent on Dawn of Sports with Dawn Mitchell and myself.
-Today’s thought: Broadcasters, please look up the definition of “literal.’’ The literal definition. Please.
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