While the Minnesota Lynx secured their next preseason victory, Olivia Miles experienced a major eye-opener moment about playing in the big league, among the pros.

Three games played and zero defeats taken, to sum up the Lynx’s preseason games so far. But while Minnesota won over the Toronto Tempo by 73-66 on May 1, Miles understood what sets the WNBA apart from the NCAA.

“It’s like a grown woman's strength, almost. Like, I think Brittany Sykes had come down and hit me with a mean bump… You just don’t feel that sort of physicality in college,” admitted Miles postgame. “It’s just a different physicality, something I have to get used to.”

Miles recorded 13 points, six rebounds, and two assists in 28 minutes, a performance that might have been even stronger had she not suffered a hard fall in the fourth quarter.

And it didn’t end with the awkward landing on the chest and the face. The 23-year-old rookie also had a small cut on her right shoulder, along with a potential finger injury.

Although Sykes was called for an offensive foul, the distinction of physicality was clear to Miles by the end of the game.  

Going forward, Miles would be taking effective measures to get used to such physicality. And given her earlier remarks, she’s probably ready for this challenge.

Olivia Miles Wanted to Play Like a Vet Against the Minnesota Lynx

Kickstarting her first pro-level game against the Washington Mystics on April 26, Miles wasn’t quite satisfied with the physicality she experienced.

Coming freshly off college basketball, she revealed what she was looking forward to.

“I don’t think this game was a fair test just because they’re a bunch of young rooks too,” Miles said during the postgame conference. “So, it kind of was like playing against college girls whom I literally was just playing against.”

Although “they came out very strong”, Miles was “excited to play like a vet, (against an) experienced, tested team.”

And fast forward to May 1, the former Notre Dame star got a taste of that intense physicality.

Moving on, how well do you think Miles would be able to brace herself against such a tough environment? Comment it down.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Utsav Gupta