Lynx Rookie Olivia Miles Joins Elite WNBA Company in Debut

The Minnesota Lynx finished with a league-best 34-10 record in 2025, yet they still had the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Don’t be mad at the Lynx. Be mad at the Chicago Sky.

The Lynx acquired the Sky’s 2026 first-round pick by sending Chicago their 11th overall pick in the 2025 draft. With that No. 11 overall pick, the Sky selected Hailey Van Lith, who was waived by the team last week and claimed by the Connecticut Sun.

Minnesota closed the loop on the trade by selecting three-time All-American point guard Olivia Miles second overall on April 13. Miles starred at Notre Dame for four years before starring at TCU last season, and now, it appears she will star in Minnesota indefinitely.

Miles was in the Lynx’s starting five for their regular-season opener against the Atlanta Dream on Saturday. She posted 21 points on 6-for-14 shooting from the field (1-for-2 from three), eight assists, three rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. The Lynx held a 17-point halftime lead but lost 91-90.

According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, Miles “became the fifth player to record 20+ points and 5+ assists in their WNBA debut, joining Candace Parker, Tonya Edwards, Dawn Staley and Cynthia Cooper.” Cooper, Parker, and Staley went on to become Hall of Famers.

After the loss, Miles was already speaking like a veteran leader.

“The sky is the limit for this group,” Miles said in her and Courtney Williams’ postgame presser. “We lost by one, but considering the factors, we’re gonna be really good. I’m excited to learn with them each game.”

Williams had effusive praise for Miles, too: “I mean, she’s a little killer! Hey, man, I said, ‘Look, let me move out your way. Let me move out your way and move to the 2, and let you do what you do best.’ Happy to have her. Happy to be back at my natural position, and she’s out here killing it, man. This little joker here is like a little baby Chelsea Gray. She gonna be so cold.”

For reference, Chelsea Gray is a six-time All-Star and four-time WNBA champion, having won three of the past four titles with the Las Vegas Aces.

The Lynx are still awaiting the return of Napheesa Collier, who underwent two offseason ankle surgeries. The team announced that she is on schedule to start on-court work in early June. In the meantime, they’ll try to secure their first win of 2026 in Phoenix on Tuesday night.

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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 6:30 PM.