Three games into her WNBA career, Olivia Miles has already done something only two players in league history had done before her.
In each of her first three games for the Minnesota Lynx, Miles has scored at least 10 points and handed out at least 5 assists. ESPN Insights found only two players who opened a career that way: Sue Bird and Candace Parker.
Miles is averaging 16.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists, with just eight turnovers across her first three games. Minnesota is 2-1 despite missing injured All-Star forward Napheesa Collier.
OLIVIA MILES JOINS ELITE COMPANY
She’s the third player in WNBA history with 10 points & 5 assists in each of her first 3 career games, joining Candace Parker and Sue Bird
pic.twitter.com/dcP4PE7OaX
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) May 15, 2026
Olivia Miles Does Not Play Like a Rookie
Through three games, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve has trusted Miles in late-game situations, and she’s already making the most of it.
“That’s a player that looks like she’s been in these moments in the WNBA for a long time. She is confident,” Reeve said last week. “There’s no in-between whether I should or I shouldn’t. For any player, that’s the best space to be in, where your instincts are taking over and you’re just competing.”
After Minnesota’s win at Dallas, Reeve credited Miles with steadying the offense in a stretch when the Lynx needed it.
“Miles was incredible making her reads and doing simple things for her team,” Reeve said. “She gave us momentum and that jolt.”
Reeve went further during training camp, comparing Miles to Lindsay Whalen, the four-time WNBA champion whom Miles has had the chance to learn from in Minnesota.
“She’s a legend in Minnesota,” Miles said. “I’m just trying to be a sponge for her.”
In a game against Phoenix, Miles traded words with a veteran and did not give ground.
“I was raised to never back down from anyone. Not scared of a challenge,” Miles said. “I know who I am, I know how good I am.”
Courtney Williams Has Embraced the Backcourt Change
Miles was handed the keys to the Lynx’s offense from day one. Courtney Williams has moved off the ball to let Miles run the point and she has not been quiet about how the rookie has handled it. Williams, in turn, has leaned into the veteran role that comes with the shift.
“She doing a hell of a job. She the captain of the ship,” Williams said. “For her to be a rookie coming in and doing it the way she doing it, that girl gonna be a problem. I been saying that. For real … I want my rooks and my younger ones to look at me as an example, I tell them all the time, make sure you treat your rooks the way I treat you.”
Miles said the trust from the veterans around her made the transition smoother than she expected and traced the quick chemistry to the locker room’s makeup.
“To have vets who believe and trust and want the best for you is rare. I just got so lucky with my situation,” Miles said. “It’s only game three, and we’ve done so much together already, ecause we’re great humans, great people, no egos, We go out there, and we want the best for each other.”
Cheryl Reeve’s System Raised the Defensive Bar
Coming out of college, the recurring question about Miles was her defense and Reeve’s system has forced her to address those concerns immediately.
“You won’t be on the court if you’re not playing defense in Cheryl’s system, so she’s kind of raised that level in me,” Miles said. “You won’t be out there if you’re not playing and competing on defense.”
Reeve has been just as direct about ball security on the other end. Miles’ eight turnovers across three games is a number the staff has worked to protect and Reeve said the margin in the WNBA is thinner than anything Miles saw in college.
“In college, there are 300-some Division I teams, so when you make mistakes, there’s not the consequence there is when you play in the W,” Reeve said. “The margin for error isn’t as great when you play in college.”
The message to Miles has stayed simple, even with the passing flair that made her a staple of college highlights.
“Don’t seek out highlight reels,” Reeve said. “Just be disciplined in how you play, and it’ll happen naturally.”
The Extra Year at TCU Paid Off
Miles could have turned pro a year earlier. She chose one more college season at TCU instead and the call drew plenty of doubt at the time. The response looks quite different now.
Miles put up 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists at TCU that season, with 1.8 steals a night. She left college with 12 triple-doubles, a total only Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark have topped in NCAA history. By the 2026 WNBA Draft, some mock boards had her rated above No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd though she went to the Lynx immediately after.
The extra year, Miles said, was the whole idea. She credited TCU coach Mark Campbell with the development and a confidence reset, one that traces back to a stretch about a year earlier when she had openly admitted she was not the best version of herself.
“He gave me the freedom that I was so longing for. Literally all year it was like, ‘Live, go hoop,'” Miles said. “In the league, it’s very easy to be put in a box and play small or not be you, especially as a rookie. But I’ve learned that I have to go out there and be me.”
Olivia Miles tonight
• 15 points
• 6 assists
• 2 rebounds
• 7/12 FG pic.twitter.com/ud9B8stewn— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) May 15, 2026
What Comes Next for the Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx have started 2-1 while navigating injuries, including Collier’s absence and a banged-up frontcourt. Three close games in, Reeve has liked what the schedule keeps demanding of her rookie.
“Three games, three different types of coverages,” Reeve said. “Her instincts are incredible.
The schedule does not ease up from here. On Sunday night, Minnesota faces a Chicago team Reeve called one of the best defensive groups the Lynx have seen this season. That matchup will put Miles back in tight, late-game possessions but she has not looked overwhelmed by any of it.
“Obviously a lot to learn,” Miles said. “[But] I’m excited and humble and ready to do that.”
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