Olivia Miles: The Rookie Point Guard Amazing the WNBA (Explained Simply)

By Michael Voepel, ESPN — July 9, 2026, 08:30 AM ET. Michael is a senior writer who has covered women’s basketball since 1984 and is with ESPN since 1996. This article was also credited to Multiple Authors.

Quick Definitions (ELI5):

• WNBA: The top professional basketball league for women in the United States.
• Rookie: A player in her very first season as a pro.
• Point Guard: The player who usually brings the ball up the court and directs the team’s offense, like a quarterback in football.
• Assist: A pass that directly leads to a teammate scoring a basket.
• Rebound: Grabbing the ball after a missed shot.

What’s the Big Story?

Lindsay Whalen is an assistant coach for the Minnesota Lynx today. Sometimes she looks at Olivia Miles, the Lynx’s rookie point guard, and remembers her own early days.

• In 2004, Whalen was a rookie point guard for the Connecticut Sun. She started 30 games and helped her team reach the league’s final championship series.
• Now Whalen watches Miles, a rookie point guard, carry a big load for the Lynx.
• The Lynx are the best team right now with a 16‑6 record (they won Wednesday against Connecticut). They will host the New York Liberty on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on ABC.
• Miles has missed the last two games with a calf injury. If she plays, it’s her second try against the Liberty. In the first game (July 3) she scored 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a loss.

Important: Miles is only two months into her pro career but has already impressed everyone. She leads the Lynx in scoring (18.5 points per game) and assists (5.7), plus 4.8 rebounds.

She is the 9th rookie in WNBA history named an All‑Star starter (a fan/coach pick to start the midseason showcase). The last three rookies to do that were Aliyah Boston (2023), Caitlin Clark (2024), and Paige Bueckers (2025). She joins Lynx legend Maya Moore (2011) as the only Lynx rookies with that honor.

Those other stars were all the No. 1 draft pick (first chosen). Miles was the No. 2 pick behind Azzi Fudd (Dallas) in the 2026 draft, but she is the clear front‑runner for Rookie of the Year (best first‑year player).

Ready for Responsibility

Miles didn’t rush into the pros. Here’s how she got ready, step by step:

1. She played three full college seasons at Notre Dame.
2. She was eligible for the 2024 draft but felt she wasn’t ready, so she transferred to TCU to finish college and prepare.
3. In 2026 she was drafted No. 2 overall by Minnesota.
4. She immediately became a starter and heavy minutes player.

• If she wins Rookie of the Year, she’d be only the second No. 2 pick to do so, after Elena Delle Donne in 2013.
• Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve says Miles is amazingly mature: “A pick‑and‑roll is a pick‑and‑roll” (a basic play where a teammate blocks a defender so the ball‑handler can move) and “there are audible gasps from our coaching staff at some of the passes she makes.”
• Unlike Fudd, who eased into Dallas’s lineup, Miles has started every game she’s played and ranks second on the team in minutes (30.6 per game). She helped fill the gap when star forward Napheesa Collier was out.
• Las Vegas veteran point guard Chelsea Gray praised her after a June 13 game: “She’s showed numerous times that she could be great in big moments. She’s doing an amazing job.”

Ability to Score and Pass at a High Level

Miles is the second player ever to average at least 18 points and 5 assists in her first 20 career games (Paige Bueckers was the first). Miles’ numbers are slightly better than Bueckers’ at the same point, and she shoots 51% from the field vs. Bueckers’ 45%.

• Eight Rookie of the Year winners averaged 18+ points in their first season. The leaders: Seimone Augustus (21.9 in 2006), A’ja Wilson (20.7 in 2018), Clark & Bueckers (19.2).
• Clark holds the rookie assist record (8.4 per game in 2024); Bueckers had 5.4. If Miles keeps her 5.7, she’d rank second all‑time among ROY winners.

Miles’ Per‑Game Stats (First 20 Games)

• Games: 20
• Minutes: 30.6
• Points: 18.5
• Rebounds: 4.8
• Assists: 5.7
• Steals (taking ball from opponent): 1.4
• Turnovers (losing ball to other team): 3.4
• Field Goal %: 50.6%
• 3‑Point %: 30.9%
• Free Throw %: 89.9%

Important: Shooting percentage tells you how often a player makes her shots. Making about half (50.6%) is very good for a guard.

Candace Parker is seen as the gold‑standard rookie (only player to win MVP in year one, 2008). Parker was a tall center (6‑foot‑4) who played like a guard. Miles is 5‑foot‑10, a different type, but Parker says: “She just sees the game… she can manipulate passes… For her to play so well in a position that is so sought‑after is special.”

Miles is on pace to be the 5th rookie ever to average 15+ points and shoot 50%+ for a full season. The other four were tall “post” players; two (Yolanda Griffith, Natalie Williams in 1999) weren’t true rookies because they played pro elsewhere first. The true rookies were Parker (2008) and Chiney Ogwumike (2014). Miles could be the first rookie guard to do it.

Fast Learner

Whalen, now a coach, learned as a young player that fancy behind‑the‑back passes caused turnovers. She says consistency—making the simple play—is what matters.

• Whalen notes Miles has even better court vision but sometimes tries impossible passes (like one to teammate Natasha Howard that had no chance). Coach Reeve didn’t scold her because she’ll learn and then make three great passes that lead to a 6‑0 run. “She’s also still a kid, so you’ve got to let her do her creative thing.”
• Defense was a worry, but Reeve told Miles there’s no physical reason she can’t be solid—just needs commitment. The Lynx allow only 80.8 points per game (2nd best) and lead in defensive rating (a simple way to say they allow the fewest points per 100 possessions). Miles is holding her own.

Unshakeable Confidence

Reeve was asked if Miles reminds her of Maya Moore, the rookie who helped Lynx win the first of four titles. Reeve smiled: when Miles took a couple of step‑back 3‑pointers recently, one good and one not, she didn’t scold her. Greatness needs confidence.

“It was easy for me to let Maya be Maya… With Liv, you can call her a rookie if you want to, but she’s just always ready for the moment.”

Summary

Olivia Miles is a 2026 No. 2 draft pick playing point guard for the Minnesota Lynx. In just 20 games she has:

• Led her team in scoring (18.5) and assists (5.7) while grabbing 4.8 rebounds.
• Started every game, played big minutes, and been named an All‑Star starter (only the 9th rookie ever).
• Become the front‑runner for Rookie of the Year, which would make her the second No. 2 pick to win it.
• Earned praise from coaches, veterans, and even Candace Parker for her vision, scoring, and maturity.
• Shown she can learn fast on defense and keep unshakeable confidence like past Lynx greats.

If her calf heals, she’ll face the New York Liberty on Saturday in a huge matchup. The original ESPN article also included a photo of Miles, a sidebar about related editor’s picks, and a note about reporter Alexa Philippou’s breaking‑news alerts on the ESPN app.

FAQ

Q1: What is a point guard, in kid terms?
A: Think of the point guard as the team’s “quarterback” on the basketball court. She brings the ball up and decides who should shoot.

Q2: What does “Rookie of the Year” mean?
A: It’s an award given each season to the best player who is in her first year in the league.

Q3: Why is shooting 50% from the field such a big deal?
A: It means she makes one out of every two shots she takes—very efficient, especially for a smaller guard.

Q4: What is an All‑Star starter?
A: The WNBA picks its best players mid‑season for a fun showcase game. Fans and coaches vote the top ones to start; Miles earned that as a rookie.

Q5: Is Olivia Miles hurt?
A: She missed two games with a calf injury but may return to play the New York Liberty on Saturday (July 11, 2026).