Minnesota Lynx Star Olivia Miles Unanimously Wins WNBA Rookie Of The Year

The Minnesota Lynx breakout star, Olivia Miles, won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award unanimously, as expected.

The second overall pick in last year’s draft averaged 19.8 points, 6.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds this season.

Miles’ standout performance led the Lynx to a WNBA-best 33-11 record, and she broke Caitlin Clark’s record for most points averaged by a rookie.

Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve also took home Coach of the Year honors, her fifth time doing so in the WNBA.

The awards were the only bright spot for the Lynx, who were upset by the New York Liberty in the first round of the playoffs. The eight-seed took down the league’s top seed in a 2-0 sweep, upsetting them as around three-to-one underdogs on most sportsbooks and prediction markets.

The disappointing end to the season for the Lynx comes with a bright future, as Miles is inked to a 4-year contract that started just this year in her rookie season.

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham described Miles as someone who “plays like a man,” a controversial compliment that made headlines a few weeks ago. She doubled down on the comments, praising how good Miles is. Many other prominent players, coaches, and analysts have offered similar praise.

Miles had a disappointing postseason on the scoresheet, even though she led the team in rebounds with eight in game one. Miles scored only 16 points in the two games, with just five in game two facing elimination. Her lack of playoff experience shows, but it doesn’t take away from her unbelievable season; Lynx fans should expect to contend at the top of the league for a long while if she chooses to stay in Minnesota long term.