Kayla McBride is the staple of consistency in Minnesota. Despite her role changing over her six-year tenure with the Lynx, she is the one who brings it every night, and that flexibility was evident with her season-high 22-point outing in the Lynx’s 100-76 win over the Dallas Wings to cruise to 4-0 in the Commissioner’s Cup.
The pride of Erie, PA, has taken on a number of roles throughout her illustrious career. Five-time All-Star, check. EuroLeague champ, check. Seven-time Turkish Super League champ, check. Still producing at a high level on the court, Kayla has taken on an even more important role in the locker room: Vet.
“I mean, she’s a brilliant mind. I trust her in her instincts; she just knows what to do at the right moment, and that goes for all of the vets on our team… it can be frustrating when people are grabbing you, she’s getting screened really hard, and fighting through that physicality,” Lynx rookie Olivia Miles emphatically exclaimed about McBride’s leadership in her thirteenth season. “We always make sure to be in her ear, as much as we can, you know, as a rookie, sometimes I don’t know what to say, but I make sure she knows I support her and appreciate her, and what she’s doing is not easy.”
A reminder of what McBride still brings on the floor was evident to anyone in the Target Center or watching on television last night. She embraced guarding Paige Bueckers, set selfless screens to free up others, and made the extra pass to keep the rock flowing all over the hardwood. Of course, she’s one of the W’s elite shooters, but it’s everything else that had her teammates and coaches raving Tuesday night.
“Defensively, she was really special with her matchup on Paige,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said in the post-game press conference. “Some of the offensive stuff, being a little more intentional on getting some catch-and-shoots…some of our go-to sets for her found success after she saw a couple go down.”
Reeve further elaborated, “She does so much. She has so much gravity. Her screening has been terrific for us, so she gives herself up, which also frees herself up. She’s been playing off the bounce a little bit more, so the catch-and-shoots are there. We’ve been talking about playing a little bit more intentional to find her catch-and-shoots. Her two-point field goal percentage and the stuff that she’s doing off the bounce has been terrific.”
Inside McBride’s Winning Mentality
As Coach Reeve explained, the impact that K-Mac had on the game extended far, far beyond her ability to get buckets. She provided a rebounding presence from the backcourt (5 boards), constantly made the extra pass while keeping the rock flowing around the perimeter (4 assists along with countless more ‘hockey assists’ and assist opportunities), and utilized her IQ on the defensive end against one of the league’s budding stars.
“I want to win. I think that’s always been the name of the way that I play,” Kayla explained of her adaptability. “I just need to figure out my way, whether it’s defense, getting other people open, or using my gravity to create other things. I’ve enjoyed that process.”
The altruistic mentality that she brings to the Lynx has rubbed off on others, too. There is a radiant joy that the squad has among each other that is insanely transparent, both on and off the court, to any onlooker. Already sitting atop the W standings, it is a truly scary thought to think where Minnesota will be once reigning W MVP Napheesa Collier returns, because as if they weren’t already the front-runners for the ‘chip now, they will undoubtedly be betting favorites then.
However, it’s already a matter of ‘pick your poison’ and will be business as usual.
“We have a selflessness with this team. It’s just good basketball, and at the pro level, it’s really hard to find a cohesive group that wants to do the right things for each other, enjoy each other…it’s a lot of fun. As a hooper, I really genuinely enjoy hooping,” McBride said of the chemistry of the league’s best 10-2 Lynx. “It’s like a buffet. I literally said that practice yesterday. This is a buffet, it’s like a little bit of everything. You can take whatever you want, you can go for seconds, that’s what it feels like.”
The post Kayla McBride: Lynx Rock Shines in Commissioner's Cup Win Over Wings appeared first on Ballislife.com.