MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Lynx did not have their usual A-game when the ball tipped off against the Las Vegas Aces at Target Center on Tuesday night. The Aces’ small-ball lineup, playing in the absence of reigning MVP A’ja Wilson who was still in concussion protocol, stymied Minnesota’s usually potent offensive attack early and led 39-30 at the half.
There was no shortage of disappointing stats for Minnesota to address in the halftime locker room. Their 30 points was the fewest they had scored in a half this season. But perhaps the most shocking stat of the night was Minnesota’s inability to find the bottom of the net from beyond the arc in the first half. The Lynx, who entered the game shooting 38.7% from three-point range, hit just 1-of-13 attempts from deep in the first half, or 7.7%.
However, that one bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming first-half box score proved to be incredibly significant.
“With the struggles we had in the first half, we thought Diamond’s game could give us something different attacking the basket,” Lynx head coach and President of Basketball Operations Cheryl Reeve said of Diamond Miller’s performance after the win. “Because we were having a hard time getting penetration. You know, offensively, we were really easy to play against. Diamond gave us a different look … overall, this momentum is something that Diamond’s had and it came at a really good time for us.”
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Energizing the Lynx on a night when they didn’t seem to have it was no easy assignment for Miller. In addition to the offensive woes, the nature of the Vegas lineup called for Miller to guard six-time all-star, three-time WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Chelsea Gray, who Reeve described as “as crafty as they come.”
The Lynx trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half. Miller scored the last five of the half for Minnesota with her three from the wing, and a streaking layup that left former Lynx guard Tiffany Mitchell in the dust. Those two plays counted for just five points in the box score, but they trimmed the deficit to single digits and, most importantly, sent energetic shock waves through her Lynx teammates and every member of the announced sellout home crowd.
“She’s been ready, so for her to come out and do that gives the whole team an energy boost,” Natisha Hiedeman said in the post-game press conference. “We just feed off of that. We really needed extra energy today and that’s exactly what Diamond brought. That’s what we needed and I think that’s honestly the reason that we won this game.”
Miller’s boost in the first half was no fluke. After the break, she sparked Minnesota’s run in the third quarter with multiple exclamation points that kept the crowd on its feet. First, a driving layup on the aforementioned Gray sent the future Hall of Famer to the ground, cut the Vegas lead to just three and gave Miller the chance to hit the veteran with the famed ‘too small’ gesture, which sent the Lynx bench into a frenzy.
A few minutes later, Miller gave the Lynx a 52-50 lead with a step-back 3-pointer over the extended arms of Aces center Kiah Stokes. The Lynx never trailed again, en route to their 76-62 victory. Minnesota even doubled the Aces in points by a count of 46-23 in the second half, despite losing Napheesa Collier to a lower back injury halfway through the third quarter.
Miller’s career has so far been a story of high potential interrupted by injury. But after receiving a soaring ovation the Lynx crowd, an emotional Miller took to the post-game podium — alongside Hiedeman and Courtney Williams — to recap her pivotal role in a game that earned Minnesota a chance to defend their Commissioner’s Cup title.
“I’m just a fighter. I’ve gone through a lot of stuff,” Miller began as Hiedeman supported by saying ‘facts’ while seated beside her. “So this moment means a lot to me cause it took a lot to get this. I work really hard. Sometimes things don’t happen as quickly as you want it and God makes you wait.”
As Miller’s tears flowed, her teammates seated beside her both placed a hand on her shoulder, a gesture of support for their teammate who has never hesitated to support the collective through every injury and every setback so far in her young career.
“Like she says she has been through a lot, like a lot a lot,” Hiedeman added. “Her energy, and her being a good teammate, and her showing up despite all the stuff that she’s been through, she just shows up every single day with a smile on her face. I don’t even know how she does that. I just want to give her a shout out for that. Obviously tonight we needed her and she was in there doing her thing. It’s super, super exciting to see and just really happy for her in this moment.”
The product of Montclair, New Jersey came to Minnesota by way of the University of Maryland, when the Lynx selected her with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. Miller had her professional ascension derailed for the first time just five games into her rookie season when she sprained her right ankle in Dallas. She bounced back to make 32 starts and be named to the All-Rookie Team, averaging 12.1 points per game and helping the Lynx make the playoffs in 2023.
Her momentum from a promising rookie season came to a screeching halt that winter, when she suffered a knee injury in just her second game with Hungarian club Uni Gyor that required surgery.
Miller returned to Minneapolis and rehabbed well enough to enter the 2024 season as a starter, but suffered a right knee injury in the third game of the season in Connecticut, keeping her off the floor for more than a month. By the time she returned, Bridget Carleton had entrenched herself in the starting lineup and Miller’s playing time dwindled. She was left to keep putting in the work in the shadows, and hope each time a setback closes a door, an adjacent opportunity opens a window.
“I’ve been telling her since the game was over that I’m so proud of her,” Williams said post-game. “We see the work that Diamond puts in, man, and for her to come out, she was huge. I told her she gave me that boost that I needed. She’s gonna continue to keep putting her work in. She’s gonna continue to keep getting her opportunities, and she’s gonna show up every time.”
Miller’s hard work and her undeniable spark against the Aces is a testament to both the culture and the depth within the 2025 Lynx. The double-edged sword of depth means on one night Miller could hear her number called for first quarter minutes to help the Lynx out of a jam, and on another night she won’t hear it at all.
“It’s really hard to be in my situation where you don’t know what’s going to happen from game to game, and still being resilient,” Miller said. “To still be ready for your moment, and today I was. So I’m just thankful God gave me the mental capacity to be ready for today. It feels really good, but yeah, it took a lot of work.”
Millers work translated into a Lynx win and a trip back to the Commissioner’s Cup Final, where Minnesota will host Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on July 1. The Lynx will have the chance to become the first team to earn repeat titles in the five-year history of the in-season tournament.
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Beyond the Commissioner’s Cup, Miller’s effort translated into 12 points in just over 14 minutes that will live forever in not only a statistical database, but also in the minds of a fan base that has revered her since she was drafted in 2023.
It translated into a number of viral-worthy highlights; the aforementioned ‘too small’ take to the rim on Gray, throwing up three fingers and screaming at the Minnesota bench to get it going in the first half, and the step-back three that finally brought the Lynx back over the top.
“I was just having fun out there,” Miller said. “I told them in the locker room, I just said, ‘playing basketball is so much fun.’ I love playing basketball no matter what. Good [days], bad days, being on the court is just something that I live for. It’s not just a job, like I really love this stuff, I love playing basketball.”
