Olivia Miles has left little to prove after a rookie season filled with records, milestones, and leading the Minnesota Lynx to the #1 seed. Now, as Cathy Engelbert presented her with the Rookie of the Year trophy, the commissioner offered a reminder of how historic her debut actually was.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
During the WNBA’s presentation of the Rookie of the Year award in New York, Engelbert addressed a crowd of reporters before presenting Miles with the award, and took the moment to capture the unlikely confidence she had placed in the #2 overall pick. A video of her comments was posted to X by Lynx reporter Andrew Dukowitz.
“Olivia, the skill, the confidence, and poise you’ve shown in just your first season has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Engelbert said.
“I knew when I called your name on draft night I would be standing here. I really did. But you’ve given the Lynx fans so much to celebrate this season, and really fans across the league who have become huge fans of you and the Lynx and our league as a result.”
Miles’ rookie season was one of the most outstanding in recent memory. She etched her name in the record books by scoring 790 points over the season, which surpassed Caitlin Clark’s mark of 769 for the most points scored in a rookie season in league history. That’s not where her scoring impact ended either.
Miles also became the rookie with the most 20-point games in a season with 22, surpassing Lynx legend Seimone Augustus’ previous mark of 20. She also hit the most three-pointers in a single game by a rookie, with eight long-range bombs against the Golden State Valkyries on June 4.
It was those achievements which led to Miles being voted the Rookie of the Year unanimously, joining Aliyah Boston, A’ja Wilson, Elena Delle Donne, Tina Charles and Candace Parker.
Engelbert highlighted her scoring achievements, but also drew attention to Miles’ consistency, which has perhaps been her biggest strength when on the court for the Lynx, and something that earned her an All-Star appearance as a rookie.
“[She] became the 11th rookie voted as the starter in the AT&T WNBA All-Star game,” Engelbert said.
“And think about that; thirty years of the All-Star Game, she’s only the eleventh rookie to become a starter. That’s a vote. That excellence was consistent, as Olivia earned KIA WNBA Rookie of the Month honors every month this season. Just the fourth rookie to accomplish that feat.”
What likely made the moment of winning the award stand out even more for Miles was the fact that she was surprised by her parents during a team dinner with the trophy. A video of the moment was posted to the Lynx’s X page.
Minnesota’s Historic Season Had Plenty of Contributors Apart From Olivia Miles
Olivia Miles was a big part of Minnesota’s outstanding regular season, especially considering that Napheesa Collier, last season’s top scorer, played only 16 games this season, averaging 16.8 points versus her 2025 average of 22.9.
Miles was brought in to run the point for an established playoff team and slot in without a hitch, leading the team to a 33-11 season with a veteran core of Collier, Natasha Howard, and Courtney Williams.
However, Miles was not the only factor in the Lynx’s success. On the same night she was named Rookie of the Year, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve received the Coach of the Year award for helping lead the team to the #1 seed.
Reeve has won the award four other times over her 17-year career (2011, 2016, 2020, and 2024); more than any coach in league history. Unlike Miles, the milestone wasn’t unanimous, but Reeve still won over 50% of the votes, finishing with 40 out of 74. Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase finished second with 20, and Washington Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson received 14 for third place.
For now, though, Miles and Reeve face a difficult challenge in the WNBA postseason. After losing Game 1 to the #8-seeded New York Liberty, the team faces elimination in the best-of-three series, and now it is up to them to turn it around.