The Minnesota Lynx’s depth took a massive hit when it was announced that Karlie Samuelson would have to undergo foot surgery and miss the rest of the season. Samuelson played important minutes off the bench for Minnesota—she, Natisha Hiedeman, and Jessica Shepard have been Cheryl Reeve’s most trusted reserves all season long—and even started a few games in Kayla McBride’s absence.
Most importantly, Samuelson provided good 3-point shooting, converting 35.3 percent of her 2.1 attempts per game. For a team that thrives from behind the arc, her shooting was big off the bench.
With Samuelson sidelined, Diamond Miller has gotten the chance to take on a bigger role. Miller was not a great 3-point shooter in her first two seasons in the WNBA, shooting 30.7 and 19.2 percent, respectively. Recently, she has shot the three well, though.
Miller must continue her good 3-point shooting to fill her new role
Spacing the floor and killing opponents from long range is a big part of the Lynx’s game. Miller is an athletic and dynamic scorer, who can get to the rim well. That will be valuable for the Lynx off the bench. However, the Lynx will also need Miller to space the floor as best as possible.
She has done just that in the last two games. After playing only one minute against the Indiana Fever, Miller saw her playing time increase. Against the Mystics and Valkyries, she played 14 and 13 minutes, respectively. She totalled 15 points, one rebound, and one assist over both games.
Both games were proof that she can provide a scoring boost off the bench. The Lynx need that from her, even if she still has improvements to make. For example, at 6’3, Miller should be able to grab more than just one rebound in 27 minutes of playing time.
Her 3-point shooting has been encouraging, though. She converted one of her two attempts against Washington and went 2-3 against Golden State.
If Miller can keep this up, she should thrive in her new role and allow the Lynx to move on from Samuelson’s injury without many hiccups.
This is a chance for Miller to remind everyone of her potential
Diamond Miller entered the WNBA as the second overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. Since then, she hasn’t had many chances to live up to her potential. Her rookie season was solid, but then an injury slowed down her development in her sophomore season. Now, Miller is finally healthy but started the season at the end of Cheryl Reeve’s bench.
This is her chance to impress in a bigger role and prove that she can help one of the best teams in the league win.