Even though it’s only been her first year in the WNBA, Olivia Miles has turned a lot of heads in her direction. Thanks to an impressive campaign, the Minnesota Lynx star ended the season as the undisputed top rookie.
The second overall pick in this year’s draft emerged as one of the Lynx’s best players, averaging 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists. She led her team to a 33-11 record, the best in the WNBA.
Miles has also made plenty of history in the process. The Lynx star surpassed Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark’s rookie scoring record of 769 points by reaching 790 points after scoring 21 in Minnesota’s win over the Connecticut Sun.
Although Miles benefited from a longer season, it’s worth noting that she achieved the rookie scoring milestone in the same number of games as Clark.
Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Miles’ impressive first year in the league has also drawn attention outside of the WNBA. Among those who shared their thoughts on the Lynx rookie is none other than NBA icon and former Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose.
In a video by NBA 2K, Rose was asked which WNBA star he would love to team up with. He responded by praising Miles.
“Oh my God,” Rose said of Miles. “She is nice. Pure point guard. Her shot-making, her layup package, unreal. Passing, unreal. She’s flashy, but not flashy. Like her dribble is very simple, but she gets to where she wants to go, and that’s very impressive for me.”
Miles still has plenty of room to develop as a WNBA star in the coming years. But with what she has accomplished in her rookie campaign, backed by Rose’s glowing recommendation, it’s not hard to see the Lynx star going far in her career.
