It was almost another routine evening for Olivia Miles and the Minnesota Lynx, eight points ahead in the fourth quarter. The star rookie had 20 points, five rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and two steals. Everything appeared to be going exactly as expected until it suddenly was not in the final quarter of the game, and Miles had exit the game with an injury.

The Minnesota Lynx uploaded the postgame press conference segment with Cheryl Reeve on their YouTube channel, where the Lynx head coach acknowledged that Miles had tweaked her ankle but made clear she did not yet have any official diagnosis or timeline to offer. 

“She did tweak it, but I don’t, I don’t have any idea where it’s at. I haven’t seen the play yet. So obviously we’re hoping that she’s okay.”

With 4:37 remaining in the game, Olivia Miles was defending Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton when she awkwardly planted her foot and stepped directly onto the foot of her own teammate Napheesa Collier, causing her left ankle to roll severely.

However, from what appeared to be a relatively innocuous defensive moment, Olivia Miles hobbled to the baseline, fell to the floor in visible pain, and remained there for several minutes surrounded by teammates and training staff. She was then helped up by trainers, made her way briefly to the locker room, and did not return to action.

She did, however, come back to sit on the bench for the game’s final minutes. And in the postgame press availability, she appeared to be in good spirits, smiling and joking with teammate Kayla McBride despite walking with a slight limp. That, at least, is a mildly encouraging sign.

The concern, however, is amplified by the fact that this is not the first time Olivia Miles has sustained an injury to that same left ankle this season. In a game against the Los Angeles Sparks back in July, she rolled the same ankle and also had to leave the game before eventually returning to the bench. A second incident involving the same joint, particularly late in the season, is not something to be casually dismissed.

Miles is in the midst of one of the most historically impressive rookie campaigns the WNBA has ever seen, leading the Rookie of the Year race and firmly in the MVP conversation, averaging 19.9 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game across 34 games. She has been a central and irreplaceable force for a Minnesota Lynx team that currently sits at 30-7 and at the very top of the league standings.

With just seven games remaining before the playoffs, the timing of this setback makes it all the more concerning. However, there is reason for measured optimism. Even if Olivia Miles does not suit up for the Lynx’s upcoming game against the Washington Mystics, the league is fast approaching a 17-day FIBA Women’s World Cup break beginning August 31. That window gives her more than enough time to rest, recover, and return to full health before the games that matter most begin.