The Minnesota Lynx knew exactly what they were getting when they selected Olivia Miles with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 Draft. The 23-year-old has wasted no time taking over the league and emerging as one of the front-runners for the Rookie of the Year honors.
Miles’ impressive start to her rookie season has put opposing players, including Sophie Cunningham, on notice.
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Olivia Miles’ Stellar Rookie Season Draws Praise from Fever’s Sophie Cunningham
Miles captured May’s Rookie of the Month award after averaging 15.4 points and 5.9 assists per game, leading all rookies in scoring, assists, steals, and efficiency metrics during that stretch.
Then in June, Miles broke Caitlin Clark’s rookie record for most 3-pointers in a game, recording eight in the Lynx’s 87-84 win over the Golden State Valkyries.
The former Notre Dame star’s production is not going unnoticed, with Indiana Fever’s Cunningham weighing in on the optics around Miles and her ROTY contention.
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During the latest episode of her “Show Me Something” podcast, the Fever star detailed exactly what makes Miles so difficult to contain.
“I know that they said Olivia Miles was like up for rookie. She’s going to get rookie of the year,” Cunningham said. “I don’t know if anyone has watched her play, whoever’s listening to this, she is a beast. An actual beast. She is. I’m not kidding.”
Cunningham pointed to the rookie’s physical style of play and unorthodox movements off the dribble as primary reasons for her early dominance.
“She like, she just has like the wiggle of a guy,” Cunningham explained. “Like she is so good. Her passing, her shooting, her court vision. Like she is, she is good.”
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“I like her. And I know people think it’s weird when like you compliment other people in our league because you have to play against them,” Cunningham continued. “But I also like, give this girl her flowers. Like she is a freaking beast.”
Miles brought an impressive collegiate resume to the WNBA. During her time in South Bend, she became the first freshman in NCAA Tournament history to record a triple-double, and also set the program’s all-time record for career triple-doubles.
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That momentum seamlessly translated to the professional level, as Miles dropped nearly 30 points on the Las Vegas Aces in a narrow defeat before bouncing back to help her team to a 33-point blowout win over the Portland Fire on Monday night.
Averaging 18.1 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.0 rebounds across 14 games, Miles will have her next opportunity to back up Cunningham’s praise when the Lynx face the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.
