We’re not even a week into the WNBA season, but there’s already a clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. That’s Olivia Miles, who was drafted No. 2 overall by the Minnesota Lynx after a standout collegiate career that included four years at Notre Dame and one at TCU.
There’s already a clear WNBA Rookie of the Year frontrunner
Olivia Miles has been the WNBA’s best rookie in the season’s early days.
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
Miles was incredible in her WNBA debut on Saturday, a 91-90 loss to the Atlanta Dream. She recorded 21 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, showing glimpses of blossoming into a future superstar for a Lynx team that lost half of its rotation this past offseason.
She followed the opener up with another strong performance in her second game, a 13-point, 7-rebound, 6-assist outing in a win against the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night.
It’s incredibly early in the season — too early for legitimate Rookie of the Year conversations — but it’s very clear that Miles for Rookie of the Year is a very plausible, and perhaps even a likely scenario.
“She’s gonna be a heck of a player in our league,” said Mercury head coach Nate Thibbets before Tuesday’s game. “One game under her belt, but she’s a generational passer. That’s what I would say. She’s just got elite level vision.”
Let’s take a look at the other WNBA first-round picks who could be in the mix
Azzi Fudd (No. 1) came off the bench in the season opener, scoring just 3 points on two field goal attempts. It’s no knock on Fudd, but the Wings’ guard depth seems to indicate she might not have the on-court opportunities that Miles has had from the beginning of the season.
Awa Fam (No. 3) is still overseas; when she’ll debut for the Seattle Storm remains to be seen. Lauren Betts (No. 4) is coming off the bench as well, backing up Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen, both of whom seem to be central to the Mystics’ future plans.
Gabriella Jaquez (No. 5) already looks like she’ll do a little bit of everything for the Chicago Sky; she recorded 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in the season opener. But Jaquez is likely to be more of a role player for the Sky, albeit an impactful one.
Outside of lottery picks, several standout rookies have made an early impression, including Jovana Nogic (Phoenix Mercury), Emma Cechova (Minnesota Lynx), Pauline Astier (New York Liberty), and Noemie Brochant (Mercury).
Nogic, a 28-year-old Serbian guard, poured in 19 points in her WNBA debut and followed that up with a 16-point outing.
Astier, a 24-year-old French guard, has been phenomenal in the early days, but she’ll likely be relegated to the bench when Sabrina Ionescu returns from injury.
Flau’jae Johnson, who was drafted 8th overall by the Golden State Valkyries and traded to the Seattle Storm, is another potential Rookie of the Year candidate. Johnson is a starter to begin the season, and she’s averaging 14 points per game (though she’s done so on 27.3% shooting). If she’s able to find her footing on the offensive end, Johnson is another player who will likely get the on-court opportunity required to win the first-year honor.
Still, no one has rivaled Miles’ production (and role) in the early days.
Her production at point guard has been so pronounced that Courtney Williams, a natural shooting guard who has played the position for the Lynx over the past two seasons, seemingly handed her the keys one day into the season.
“She a little killer, aye man, I said “look let me move out your way,” Williams said of Miles, per Andrew Dukowitz. “Happy to have her, happy to be back at my natural position, and she out here killing it man. Like I said this little joker here is like a baby Chelsea Gray, like she gonna be cold, she gonna be so cold. I’m excited to just be apart of the journey.”
It’s just the beginning for the 23-year-old guard.
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