Bigs and forwards tend to dominate the WNBA MVP voting. The last clear-cut guard to win the award was Diana Taurasi in 2009. Over the last few years, the MVP race has been a battle between A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, and Napheesa Collier. More often than not, Wilson came out on top.
But with Collier out, Phoenix struggling, and a new generation of superstar guards, headlined by Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, continuing to rise through the WNBA ranks, the MVP landscape is destined to change this season—probably not too much, though. Wilson just recorded 34 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks in the Aces’ eighth win and is the overwhelming MVP favorite yet again.
Still, seeing another guard win MVP soon seems inevitable. Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are the first two names that come to mind for many fans, and they are widely expected to make some noise in the MVP race this season. But, as of now, rookie Olivia Miles actually has a better case than Clark or Bueckers.
Olivia Miles has a legitimate case for MVP
The MVP award usually goes to the best player on one of the top teams in the league. The Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces, and Atlanta Dream currently sit on top of the standings in that order.
While Natasha Howard, Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, and Nia Coffey are all putting together outstanding seasons for Cheryl Reeve, Miles has been the driving force behind the Lynx’s success. She leads the team in points and assists per game with 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. The rookie is also putting points on the board very efficiently, flirting with a 50-40-90 season.
Miles also stacks up well against the WNBA’s elite. She ranks seventh in total points scored twelve games into the season, fourth in total assists, and twelfth in total steals.
Her numbers are pretty similar to those of Clark and Bueckers. While she’s scoring about one less point per game than both, she does so more efficiently, especially compared to Clark, who averages 38.3% shooting from the field. She also grabs more rebounds than either, averages fewer turnovers and fouls than Clark, and dishes out more assists than Bueckers.
Miles has an edge over the other two elite young guards in the W right now, but it’s still early in the season, and things can change quickly. Dallas just suffered a 100-76 blowout loss to Minnesota, but strung together four wins before that, including victories over New York and Las Vegas. The Wings could quickly soar up the standings, improving Bueckers’ case. Clark’s Fever team is also starting to figure things out with two wins in its last three games, and Clark put together an efficient shooting performance featuring a game-winning 3-pointer against the Mystics that could get her going.
If the Sparks can figure things out, Kelsey Plum will also join the conversation.
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