Lynx's Olivia Miles might as well get Rookie of the Year right now

Lynx’s Olivia Miles might as well get Rookie of the Year right now originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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After she decimated the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday night, Olivia Miles might as well be handed the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award already.

True, Miles and the Minnesota Lynx have played just 15 games together. And Azzi Fudd is finding her feet in Dallas with the Wings.

But even at this stage, with two-thirds of the season left to play, few rookies have ever been as good as Miles has been.

MORE: Lynx’s Olivia Miles revealed a hidden talent during a blowout win

Miles scored 24 points in the first half and 30 for the game on Wednesday as the Lynx wrapped up their Commissioner’s Cup campaign with a 99-83 win over the Sparks.

Olivia Miles in the FIRST HALF

24 PTS
3 REB
2 AST
2/2 3PT
10/11 FG pic.twitter.com/tFga8BzKuA

— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) June 18, 2026

Miles became only the second rookie in the past 26 years to score 30 or more points on 80 percent shooting or better.

The other one isn’t Caitlin Clark: it’s Paige Bueckers, who achieved the feat against the Sparks last August.

Olivia Miles vs Los Angeles:

31 PTS
4 REB
4 AST
12-15 FG

Joins Paige Bueckers as the only rookies this century with 30+ PTS on 80+ FG%. pic.twitter.com/8APsgtRMQD

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 18, 2026

Miles through 15 games played has the most points of any rookie to make their debut in the past 20 seasons. She’s scored 285 points to date, compared to Fudd’s output of 178 points.

Last year, Bueckers had 273 points scored across her first 15 games. In 2024, Clark scored 242 for the Indiana Fever over her first 15 WNBA games.

Olivia Miles has the most points by a guard through their first 15 career games since 2006. pic.twitter.com/BVpeZAzCWX

— Real App (@realapp) June 18, 2026

Making Miles’ start to life in The W even more impressive is the way in which she has taken a leadership role on a championship contender.

Ordinarily, the Lynx would not have had the ability to draft Miles second overall. Minnesota was the league’s best regular season team in 2025 and played in the WNBA Finals in 2024.

But the Lynx made a fortuitous trade with the Chicago Sky to acquire the first-rounder that would eventually settle at second overall, where Miles went off the board in April.

Miles has proven to be a seamless fit on a Lynx team that again has the league’s best record, its best offense and its best defense by efficiency. 

When All-Star Napheesa Collier returns from ankle surgery in the next month, Minnesota will be even scarier as its pursuit of a first championship in nine years continues.

Even if the Lynx don’t win the title this year, Miles has already secured some silverware for herself.

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