It's undisputed at this point, 19 games into the season, that Olivia Miles will be the Rookie of the Year. Her stat line averages of 18.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists look like it should be a contender for Player of the Year, not just rookie.
Maya Moore, a Lynx legend, accomplished what Miles is chasing: winning Rookie of the Year and the WNBA finals during the same season. If she matches the feat, she would do it with an obstacle Moore never had to face, not having a player like Napheesa Collier alongside her.
Minnesota is no stranger to Rookie of the Year Winners
Minnesota has had five Rookie of the Year winners, the most in the league. Miles' name will go along with Lynx legends like Moore, Collier and Seimone Augustus.
At the beginning of the WNBA season, everyone knew that superstar player Collier wasn't going to play for a part of the season due to an ankle injury. Knowing this, no one expected the Lynx to be the powerhouse that they've become. The Athletic ranked them eighth in their preseason power rankings, basically writing them off as real contenders this year without Collier.
Then enter Olivia Rose Miles. She completely transformed the narrative surrounding the Lynx, taking the team over without needing Collier there. Miles is the leader in points and assists while leading the Lynx to first place in their conference.
The difference between Moore and Miles is that she was able to win with Finals MVP Augustus by her side all season. In comparison, Miles is playing a chunk of the season without one of the best players in the league and is still dominating. If Miles pulls this off, she will etch her season in league history as the best rookie season ever.
Olivia Miles makes people forget they're missing Napheesa Collier.
Miles has had her own share of records broken this season. Most notably, she broke Caitlin Clark's rookie record for the most 3-pointers in a game with eight. Comparing her rookie stats to past winners doesn't make her stand out as the best rookie ever on paper, but considering how she's put the Minnesota Lynx back in WNBA Finals contention means more.
Miles' rookie season is different from standout rookie seasons like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and A'ja Wilson because they were drafted to bad teams and were sent to be part of a rebuild. She wasn't drafted to a bad team, like those past winners. The Lynx have been to the finals as recently as 2024 and are a perennial playoff team that has multiple All-Stars like Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams. Even with stars surrounding her, she is just as good or arguably better than them in her first season.
The dynamic guard shot the Lynx back into relevancy and made them look like a team that can be competitive without their star player. That can't be said for other teams in the league right now. Looking at their 15-4 record, no one would think that Collier was missing.
Napheesa Collier is returning to the Lynx soon
It was announced today that Collier has returned to practice with the team. The sooner Collier gets to the floor, the more scared that other teams should be. Collier is a five-time All-Star and came second in MVP voting last year. Her return will only improve the Lynx's chances of winning a title this year, making Olivia Miles rookie season historic.
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