Olivia Miles' Historic Rookie Campaign Propels Minnesota Lynx’s Title Push

In twelve games, Olivia Miles averages 17.8 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals. Her net rating of 20.8 and defensive rating of 91.6 rank among the league’s best, and Minnesota sits 10-2, leading the WNBA despite Napheesa Collier’s injury.

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Minnesota obtained the No. 2 overall pick in a 2024 trade with Chicago. The Lynx used that pick to draft Miles after a league-best 34-10 record, positioning the team as early title contenders.

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Miles ranks 11th in league scoring (17.8 ppg) and posted 28 points with seven assists on June 4, hitting eight of 11 threes—the most by any rookie in a game. She would finish with about 780 points, overtaking Seimone Augustus’s 744-point rookie record and nearing Caitlin Clark’s mark. Her 276 assists would surpass Ticha Penicheiro’s rookie total, and a 2.11 assist-to-turnover ratio outperforms Clark.

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Coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said the Lynx drafted Miles for her defensive upside, noting the team would not have selected her without confidence in her physical ability to guard opponents. She added that Miles’s intelligence and athleticism enable full-court defense.

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Against Chicago, Miles posted 24 points and six assists while No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd scored six on 2-for-12 shooting. A week later she tallied 28 points, seven assists and eight threes in a win over Dallas, earning Player of the Week honors.

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Projections assume Miles will play all 44 games and maintain output, but health and the timing of Napheesa Collier’s return remain uncertain, affecting her stats and the Lynx’s title chances.

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• “She’s a brilliant shooter, one of the best we’ve ever seen in the game. … It’s always fun to play against who’s in your class, we’ve been competing since we were young against each other. So it’s cool to see where we are now basically. I always acknowledge that before the game, just ask her how she’s doing and stuff.” — Olivia Miles, Guard, Minnesota Lynx

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• “I told her we would not have drafted her if we didn’t think she had the physical ability to [defend], because that’s a whole other set of challenges,” — Cheryl Reeve, Head Coach & President of Basketball Operations, Minnesota Lynx

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• “She’s smart, she’s physically gifted, so why not? Everybody can play defense.” — Cheryl Reeve, Head Coach & President of Basketball Operations, Minnesota Lynx

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The Lynx anticipate Napheesa Collier’s return later in the season, which would give them a frontcourt duo alongside Miles’s guard play. If Miles stays healthy and sustains her production, she could finish among the league’s elite and join the rookie-season pantheon that includes Cynthia Cooper, Cappie Pondexter and Candace Parker while guiding Minnesota toward a potential championship.

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