Olivia Miles Named Unanimous 2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year — SkimNews
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- Olivia Miles was named the unanimous 2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year after a 40-game Minnesota Lynx season shortened by a calf injury; she averaged 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 steals on 49.2/38.8/87 splits.
- Miles broke Caitlin Clark's rookie scoring record with 790 points (Clark had 769 in 2024), set the rookie single-game 3-point record with eight treys in her 10th career game, and became the fastest player ever to reach 400 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists (22 games).
- Miles took the most rim attempts by any guard this season (314) and shot 57.3% at the rim; her 27.5% usage rate ranked 11th among qualified players, and she led the Lynx with 4.8 free throw attempts per game at an 87% clip.
- Miles won every Rookie of the Month award this season, was the 11th rookie ever named an All-Star starter, and is on track to join Candace Parker and Caitlin Clark as one of six players since 2000 to make the All-WNBA First Team as a rookie.
- Caitlin Clark told reporters at All-Star Weekend that Miles plays with "incredible pace" and excels in the pick-and-roll, while Aces coach Becky Hammon said Miles is "impossible to guard" because she "weaponizes every area of the court."
- Miles' playoff debut went poorly — 11 points and 1 assist on 3-of-12 shooting in a Game 1 upset loss to the New York Liberty — and the article concedes MVP is "unlikely" even after a unanimous regular-season award sweep.
- Cheryl Reeve's Lynx system and a veteran backcourt of Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, and Natasha Howard get significant credit in the piece; Miles herself said the scoring record shows "we're more so working well as a team."
Why it matters: Miles' unanimous ROY and 790-point rookie scoring record reset the WNBA rookie guard benchmark and intensify the debate over whether she surpassed Clark. The piece repeatedly credits Cheryl Reeve's system and veterans Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride for her instant success — leaving the head-to-head comparison contested and her MVP case thin.
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