Olivia Miles has already established herself as a WNBA mainstay. What would make her the most fantastic freshman?
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In the broadest sense, Olivia Miles could stand as the WNBA's biggest nightmare: through her dominance, she's removing all the drama out of the league's 30th season.
As the fourth quarter of her dominating debut begins, the Minnesota Lynx's freshman sensation has more than likely taken the league's Rookie of the Year title. One of the five spots available on All-WNBA First Team is more than likely accounted for. Some would also say that Miles has the MVP award locked up, though A'ja Wilson's legions of supporters might have something to say about that.
Nonetheless, Miles has left her mark as an average scorer of 20 points and disher of six assists through her first 32 games. While there has been some undeniable help, Miles has gotten her Lynx back to the top of the WNBA leaderboard as the playoffs loom. Fortunately for the league's continued ratings fortunes, many will likely want to see exactly how many miles Miles can generate between herself and both her contemporaries and fellow freshmen.
With that in mind, it's worth wondering exactly how Miles can shut down any and all debate around her freshman season, one that features stiff competition in the form of Candace Parker's fantastic fledgling hours in 2008, ones that closed with an MVP bestowment. So how can Miles become the GOAT among kids?
Ring It Up
Perhaps the biggest myth in professional sports is the idea that "they'll be back here in no time!"
When a blowout elimination game hits their airwaves, networks have to entertain the remaining audience somehow. Usually that centers on turning the cameras over to the sideline of the damned, where assurances of their future are spoken over glimpses of disappointed faces.
Success at the pro level, however, is more fleeting than ever. But just look at recent contenders in the W alone: the Phoenix Mercury were in the Finals less than a year ago and, one missing Satou Sabally later, they're flailing for air and making potentially wild investments like trading for Kelsey Plum. The Connecticut Sun stood as perennial contenders. Pretty much all of the stars from their 2024 group, which came one short of the Finals, are gone and they're packing up and moving to Houston come the end of this lost tour.
There are obvious exceptions to this rule. The Lynx appear well-stocked for the future considering that she was able to pull most of this off without Napheesa Collier. In fact, Collier hints that the Miles era has only just begun. But the earlier she's able to fulfill the championship potential, the better, especially where the ring conversation continues to dominate professional sports discourse.
Other squads will also refuse to afford the Lynx any sort of patience: while Minnesota figures to reside in the WNBA penthouse until Cheryl Reeve leaves (and maybe longer considering what Miles is up to), up-and-coming teams like Golden State, Indiana, and Dallas are knocking on the door.
Things get only more intense when analyzing Miles' local legacy: for all they've accomplished in the ongoing decade, the Lynx have yet to add any postseason trophies to their expansive case. If Miles guides the squad to that elusive hoist, Minneapolis artists may have a spot in front of Target Center to compete for.
I put Olivia Miles highlights over Superfly by Curtis Mayfield and something magical happened… 🥽 pic.twitter.com/44QWyxsHXO
— Sean Hurd (@seanahurd) August 10, 2026
Be the V and Come Out on Top
On paper, namely that of a dictionary, it should be impossible for Miles, or any player on the Lynx, to win the MVP award that only one rookie (Parker) has earned. There's just too much talent for one to conventionally stand out and Miles' work may have inadvertently taken down Collier's chances for quite some time.
Reality tells a different story: over the past four years, Wilson has been able to separate herself from her Sin City contemporaries like Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young by creating historic tallies that couldn't be ignored on three occasions. The lone outlier in that span, Breanna Stewart, did the same after uniting with fellow icons Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Courtney Vandersloot in New York.
In other words, there's room for Miles to do the same even if she's working with Collier, Natasha Howard, Kayla McBride, and more. It's perhaps a shame that MVP voting can't take postseason play into consideration: again, if Miles guided the Lynx to that title, there'd be no denying that she perfectly defined the middle initial. But she's more than capable of prevailing as is with the criteria established. All it will take is ending Wilson's relative monopoly atop the leaderboard.
While difficult, it's not daunting if Miles keeps up her current paces, especially with Collier back in the fold: she's a shoo-in to lead most rookies in both traditional and advanced categories and she's made an equally-lasting presence among the rankings with all players. Her case should be equally ironclad if the Lynx maintain their multi-lead game atop the standings while she keeps at her usual stroll.
One of the major storylines at the end of year 30 is the seven-team logjam that sits under the Lynx in the standings: entering this week, only 4.5 games separate second through eighth and the gap shrinks to 1.5 when considering positions four through eight. The longer Miles and her antics keep the Lynx out of that fracas, the stronger her case becomes.
Stay on the 'Fense
Going into the draft, many felt that Miles' defense was going to be an issue. Some observers pegged it as the reason that she lost out on the top pick honor to Azzi Fudd because of her defensive skillset.
Miles has soothed those concerns with a defensive rating that places fifth among WNBA starters averaging 30 minutes a game (a sample size of 22). She's also in the top 10 in defensive win shares as the WNBA's fourth quarter officially gets underway, mingling with the likes of Veronica Burton, Angel Reese, and Kiki Iriafen.
It probably won't be enough for Miles to disrupt any Defensive Player of the Year debates but she's providing exactly what the Lynx have needed in the department, especially with several standout defenders moving on during the offseason frenzy. As Minnesota continues to nurse its lead atop the WNBA standings (up by three games entering Monday play), there will be prime opportunities for her to showcase her growth.
A four-game road trip features visits to the surging locales of Las Vegas, Golden State, and Washington. They also go to Atlanta while both Golden State and New York come to visit. The regular season ends with a back-to-back against the Indiana Fever. All-in-all, the Lynx have eight games against teams that are currently stationed on the WNBA playoff bracket, one that shows little signs of welcoming new members with just about a month left of games to be played.
Parker, of course, was brilliant enough on the offensive end but truly made a name for herself by keeping box scores blank. Miles can do the same from the get-go and push her debut past Parker's with her continued adaptation.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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