The vote was unanimous: Olivia Miles is Rookie of the Year, receiving all 74 votes from a panel comprised of sportswriters and broadcasters nationwide. The WNBA announced the news today, and it’s no surprise to anyone following the No. 2 draft pick’s ascent into all-star status. Miles has set the season on fire, shaking up basketball’s history books with a slew of smashed records.
Playing as a guard, the Phillipsburg, New Jersey native broke the league’s all-time rookie scoring record (previously set by Caitlyn Clark in 2024) with 790 points on Sept. 20 during the Minnesota Lynx’s defeat of the Connecticut Sun. Miles also led all the league’s rookies across the board in not only total points but assists per game (six), defensive rebounds (163), efficiency (21.4), and field goals made (279).
Some other highlights: Miles is the only rookie on the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game roster—and she’s starting, too. Plus, shattering Lynx alum Seimone Augustus’s record from 2006, she set a new record for double-digit scoring in her first bout of career games (15). Miles also joins Hopkins native Paige Bueckers as only the second rookie in WNBA history to average at least 15 points and five assists while shooting at least 45 percent from the field.
What’s more? Adidas announced an endorsement deal with Miles.
Beyond her rookie stats, Miles was an unexpected young leader for the Lynx this season. Napheesa Collier didn’t make her debut until mid-July, and exuberant, unencumbered energy from Miles buoyed an early rise to the top of the standings. The Lynx finished 33-11 this season as the league’s best.
Meanwhile, Cheryl Reeve was announced as Coach of the Year, with 40 of 74 votes to receive the honor for a fifth time. (That, too, is a new record.)
The team will look to convert the accolades into action tomorrow night: The Lynx need a win against the New York Liberty, or the squad will bow out early in Game 2 of the first round of the WNBA playoffs.