In a draft that had no clear number-one pick, like Paige Bueckers or Caitlin Clark in the previous two years, the Dallas Wings selected Azzi Fudd. The choice makes sense for a team trying to build around Bueckers, as the two won a national championship together in college.
However, that choice also allowed the Minnesota Lynx to draft Olivia Miles second overall. As the top two picks in a highly contested draft, Miles and Fudd will always be compared, and, so far, Miles and the Lynx look like the undisputed winners of the draft.
The Lynx finished the 2025 regular season with the best record in the WNBA. No one outside of their fanbase and organization wanted to see them get a lottery pick on top of the veteran talent already on the roster with Napheesa Collier, Courtney Williams, and Kayla McBride. It’s even more ridiculous that they landed the most pro-ready player in the draft.
Miles is thriving in Minnesota. Cheryl Reeve immediately handed her the keys to the offense, and Miles is surrounded by great veterans, former WNBA champions, and proven coaches. She couldn’t have landed in a better situation. The Lynx, meanwhile, got a new franchise player to ensure the team’s future once Collier, Williams, and McBride are ready to move on.
The Wings did the Lynx and Miles a massive favor when they picked Fudd—although, let’s be real, the rest of the league also wouldn’t have wanted Reeve to get her hands on Fudd, who fits the McBride archetype, or Awa Fam. Minnesota was going to be a big winner in the draft no matter what.
Olivia Miles is enjoying her time in Minnesota
It’s difficult not to enjoy getting drafted by a team with ample opportunities and a winning culture already in place, especially when you get off to as great a start as Miles. The 23-year-old is currently averaging 15.2 points on 50% shooting from the field, 4.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1 block.
She is running away with the Rookie of the Year award unless voters will consider international players like Jovana Nogic and Pauline Astier.
But the opportunities and early success aren’t the only things that allow Miles to thrive in Minnesota. She’s also very happy with her new coach.
“It’s only been a few weeks of me meeting her and us building a relationship, and I already feel like she’d run through a wall for me, and I’d do the same for her,” Miles said about Reeve after Minnesota’s 100-72 win over Toronto. “When you have that relationship with a coach, it’s so special, something you can’t really explain.”
Add us as a preferred source on Google