Olivia Miles was in the rare position of landing with an established playoff team as a lottery pick—although Azzi Fudd and Lauren Betts also helped their teams make the playoffs. Despite Napheesa Collier’s injury and several offseason departures, the Lynx are once again on track to finish the regular season with the best record in the W and are one of the top championship contenders.
So, Miles will get to experience the playoffs right away, and the Lynx have a lot hinging on her ability to deliver at the next level. If she’s ready—which seems very likely given everything that she’s done so far—Miles could log some crazy numbers and maybe even set some rookie playoff records.
1. Miles will lead the Minnesota Lynx in scoring
This may not seem like a very bold prediction because Miles leads the Lynx in scoring for the regular season. However, Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Natasha Howard, and Courtney Williams are stars in their own right, and they all have extensive playoff experience. If Miles ends up leading that group in scoring throughout the playoffs as a rookie, it will be a bold statement about her standing with the team and in the league.
2. She will lead all players in assists per game
Miles has been a brilliant passer, averaging 6 assists per game. Nevertheless, five players currently average more assists per game than her: Alyssa Thomas, Caitlin Clark, Jordin Canada, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Carla Leite. Except for Thomas and Leite all of those players will also bring their playmaking prowess to the playoffs. Miles has the talent to still lead all players in assists per game, but it will be a tall task, especially if the Lynx also need her to be a go-to scoring option.
3. She will win a championship as a rookie starter
It’s tough to win a championship with a rookie starter. Out of the last six championship teams, only the 2024 New York Liberty started a rookie, and Leonie Fiebich had lots of experience playing in Europe before coming to the W. Nevertheless, Minnesota has a good chance to win a title with Miles in the starting lineup. The Lynx have been dominant all season long and pretty much every other key player on the team has lots of playoff experience.
The last lottery picks to win a title as a rookie were also Lynx players. Maya Moore and Amber Harris were drafted first and fourth overall in 2011, respectively. The Lynx won a title in their rookie seasons.
Add us as a preferred source on Google