Lynx’s Olivia Miles joins Caitlin Clark in exclusive WNBA history that puts her among greats originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Olivia Miles was built for this.
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Some were surprised when the Minnesota Lynx took her second overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft. But Cheryl Reeve, the Lynx’s longtime coach and President of Basketball Operations, knew exactly what she was getting: the possible Rookie of the Year.
Just seven games into her career, and the former TCU and Notre Dame standout Miles already is making history.
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Low expectations saddled the Lynx entering 2026. Napheesa Collier is still recovering from an ankle injury she sustained in last year’s playoffs, and Minnesota lost Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith (among others) in free agency.
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Yet, Miles’ quick ascent into the upper echelon of WNBA point guards has ensured that Minnesota wouldn’t skip a beat without Collier.
Minnesota has the league’s best record at 5-2 after a convincing 96-81 win over the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday. Miles scored 16 points, rang up eight assists and hauled in five rebounds across 34 minutes, numbers that were good enough to brush shoulders with elite company.
Miles became just the fourth player in WNBA history — and the first who wasn’t picked first overall in her draft — to average 15 points, five rebounds and five assists across her first seven games.
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The others are Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu and Candace Parker. All of them All-Stars, and two (to date) went on to win WNBA championships.
For Miles, “falling” to Minnesota at second overall is the best thing that could have happened to her. She’s found a winning culture, and she’s clearly thriving within that structure already
“I came into the W kind of scared of stepping on toes. I didn’t want to upset anyone,” she said Wednesday night. “But it was so easy. The culture here, coming in, people just want to win and I’m very blessed. I know this is very rare, so I’m very aware of that.”
