Lynx beat Aces to clinch WNBA playoff berth behind Miles, Collier

Olivia Miles scored 26 points and Napheesa Collier added 22 as the Minnesota Lynx beat the Las Vegas Aces 98-87 on August 8 and clinched a WNBA playoff berth. The result pushed Minnesota deeper into the league’s top tier and gave the Lynx another high-end win over a marquee opponent at a point in the season when every result shapes the playoff map.

Minnesota’s victory left the Lynx at 25-7, first in the standings, with Las Vegas at 22-9 and 2.5 games back. The WNBA standings page showed Minnesota 9-1 over its last 10 games, a run that has widened the gap on the rest of the field. The league’s Week 10 power rankings, published August 3, said the Lynx held a four-game lead over their nearest competitor and described the season as entering its “third act” with two-thirds complete.

The numbers behind Minnesota help explain why the berth feels like a checkpoint rather than a finish line. The Lynx team page listed the club second in the league in points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game, while also ranking third in opponent points per game. That profile points to a roster with production on both ends, and Miles and Collier are at the center of it. Miles, who was named Kia WNBA Rookie of the Month on August 5, has given Minnesota a second scoring option that makes the offense harder to load up against, while Collier continues to supply the steady elite output that keeps the ceiling high.

The matchup also exposed the pressure on Las Vegas against top competition. The Aces remain one of the league’s most recognizable franchises, but a 11-point loss to Minnesota underscored how much ground still separates them from the current pace-setter. In a tighter postseason bracket, seeding can decide matchups and travel, and Minnesota’s cushion gives it room to keep building toward October instead of scrambling for position.

A WNBA-related social post marked the berth as the Lynx’s 11th consecutive playoff appearance, extending one of the league’s most durable runs. With Miles supplying the burst and Collier anchoring the production, Minnesota is no longer just in the bracket. It is shaping up as the team others will have to navigate around.