Olivia Miles’ Rookie of the Month awards and the Minnesota Lynx’s wins have been synonymous. Miles just won her third Rookie of the Month award, and the Lynx maintained a 10-game winning streak, their longest since 2016. While the whole team has been crucial to this success, a lot of the credit goes to Miles, who defines rookie excellence.
Miles was drafted to the Minnesota Lynx on April 13th, 2026, as the 2nd overall pick in the first round. She’s played 29 games, and she’s already broken records. Miles is averaging 19.7 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. In second place, Sydney Taylor from the Indiana Fever is averaging 13.5 points and 3.1 assists per game. Taylor also hit a recent game-winning shot against the Las Vegas Aces to boost her team’s record. In third place, Azzi Fudd of the Dallas Wings has brought pride to her team. Fudd is averaging 13.3 points per game, 1.8 assists per game, and carries a 44.0 3-point percentage. She also won the 2026 All-Star 3-point contest.
Miles is on a winning streak, as this is her third month in a row winning the Rookie of the Month award. This makes her the first player in the franchise’s history to win it three consecutive times. On top of that, she became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 500 points and 150 assists in just 26 games. Finally, Miles earned a franchise rookie record of 33 points alongside eight assists in a victory against the Phoenix Mercury on July 13th, 2026. The young rookie has been a welcome addition to the Minnesota team, and she feels like the team is happy to have her.
Miles originally stated, “That was a big priority, in me and my agents talking about, they were like, ‘this could be a very, very good situation for you. Not that rebuilding is an issue, but to head into somewhere where you know you can compete for a championship right away is rare, and especially as high [in the draft] as you said. Definitely grateful I’ll be inserted [here], and I know it won’t be easy, and I’m not looking for it to be easy. It’s going to be intense. I’ve been looking and searching for that kind of culture for a long time and I can’t wait to get the most out of my ability.”
Miles has proven to be a key asset in Minnesota’s winning streak. It helps that the team isn’t building a strategy around one player, and they’ve integrated Miles into the strategy with other great players such as Napheesa Collier. The Minnesota Lynx are number one in the WNBA standings ahead of the Las Vegas Aces and the Golden State Valkyries. The Aces are 3.5 games behind the Lynx, and with Miles being such a star player, it looks like the Lynx could have a very comfortable lead.
On August 2nd, the Minnesota Lynx played the Indiana Fever, and Miles was compared to the Fever’s star player Caitlin Clark. Clark is one of the WNBA’s biggest stars, but Miles outshone her during the game. Clark managed to get 19 points and 10 assists, but she only made two of nine 3-point attempts. On the other hand, Miles managed to score 28 points, four rebounds, and six assists, and she finished the game with 11 of 14 made shots.
Basketball analyst Skip Bayless stated, “Caitlin Clark tied it at 41 with a 3, then Olivia Miles took this game over. Never seen a more mature rookie guard. Old soul. Lynx by 11 at half with 64 points. Indy is obviously going to have to play A LITTLE defense in the 2nd half.”
When Miles was questioned about her game against Clark, she turned the attention towards another star player instead. Miles stated, “It’s so fun playing with great guards. You know, Kelsey Mitchell is really the one that’s killing us right now. I’m just kind of in awe watching her. Like, this is low-key my ‘Welcome to the W moment,’ just trying to guard her. But it’s so fun, you know. We have respect for each other, so it’s fun. She’s special. And I say this time and time again, she’s also a great human. She garners a lot of respect, both on and off the court.”
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Miles is well on her way to becoming one of the league’s greatest players for the 2026 season, and her three consecutive rookie of the month awards are clear evidence of her greatness. Miles looks to continue her rise in the league as she helps her team continue their win streak, and it looks like no one can stop her or slow her down.
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