Kayla McBride scored 25 points and Olivia Miles added 23 in her return from injury as the Minnesota Lynx beat the New York Liberty 90-85 on Cheryl Reeve Day.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz proclaimed "Cheryl Reeve Day" to celebrate the coach's record-breaking week, with her Lynx team ending it on a high note. Kayla McBride led with 25 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, while Olivia Miles scored 23 coming off an injury, guiding Minnesota to a 90-85 victory over the New York Liberty on Saturday.
Reeve, who coached her 380th career win on Wednesday, became the WNBA's all-time winningest coach. She more focused on how her team put together a better performance than what they showed in New York.
"The recognition was great, but more than anything our group was disappointed in how we played in New York," Reeve said. "We always say this isn't supposed to be easy, and it certainly wasn't. Even after they went up six, we found a way anyway. That tells you a lot about our team."
Miles returned to the lineup after missing two games due to a calf strain and became the quickest player in WNBA history to reach 350 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists in just 21 games. Meanwhile, McBride passed Skylar Diggins for 22nd place on the all-time scoring list with a total of 5,761 points.
Minnesota led 17-13 after a 12-2 run in the first quarter. Miles scored 11 in the second, giving a 42-32 halftime lead. New York dominated the third, with Ionescu scoring 19 of her 25 points, and a 21-2 run gave the Liberty a 62-61 lead into the fourth.
"We weren't getting stops, we weren't scoring, and everything kind of drained us," Reeve said. "In the fourth quarter, we settled ourselves, went back to our starting group, and challenged them to get it done. They defended much better."
McBride hit three straight 3-pointers to give Minnesota an 84-80 lead with 2:43 left, with four of her five shots from beyond the arc coming down the stretch. Johannès fired back for New York, and Natasha Howard scored on a Nia Coffey feed to make it 86-83. Miles made one of two free throws to reach 88-83. New York then cut the deficit to three, but Miles secured the rebound to run out the clock and draw a foul. Reeve wasn't surprised she didn't force a shot.
"She knows. Most players understand that situation, and I wasn't surprised at all that Olivia handled it that way," Reeve said. "She thinks the game really well, and that moment was completely in line with how we expect her to play."
For McBride, she was motivated to get the win with her mother watching from courtside.
"When it was tied late, I just knew we had to pull it out. I trust my experience. I never feel like I don't know what to do next," McBride said. "Having my mom courtside made it even more special because she doesn't get to see me play in person very often. I honestly felt like I was a kid on the playground just having fun."
Howard finished with 16 points and 9 rebounds, while Courtney Williams contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Ionescu's 25 points led New York (13-10), with Breanna Stewart contributing 17. Jonquel Jones recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Johannès scored 14 points off the bench. The Liberty continue to play without Satou Sabally, who remains in concussion protocol, and Leonie Fiebich, is sidelined with a left foot injury.
"We were just more intentional. I thought we played much better in the second half," she said. "We generated steals and run-outs, and Marine came in and completely changed the momentum with some huge shots. We have to find a way to play like that for the full 40 minutes, and we didn't tonight."
Liberty coach Chris DeMarco emphasized the need for his team to finish possessions by contesting shots well and focusing on rebounding so they can push on the break offensively for easier possessions.
"We have to finish possessions. I talked before the game about challenging shots without fouling, getting a good contest, and then securing the rebound because that's what leads to easier offense," DeMarco said. "Even in the first quarter, I thought we had some really good defensive possessions, but we didn't capitalize offensively and found ourselves down 10."
New York will visit the Toronto Tempo in Montreal on Sunday, and Minnesota will host the Phoenix Mercury on Monday.
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