Miles isn't just in pursuit of a Rookie of the Year award; she's also hoping to become one of the best guards in the entire WNBA.
Olivia Miles is off to a tear in her WNBA rookie season after being chosen No. 2 overall out of TCU by the Minnesota Lynx.
The point guard is averaging 18.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game as she's led the Lynx to a first-place record of 13-3. That showing is even more impressive considering Minnesota is still without superstar forward Napheesa Collier, who is sidelined by an injury.
Miles' scoring output has her not only at the top of all rookies, but also inside the top-10 of the entire league in points. As a result, CBS Sports has the former Horned Frog as the clear-cut Rookie of the Year front-runner.
In a head-to-head matchup with No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd of the Dallas Wings, Miles went off with 24 points on 7 of 10 shooting, to go with seven rebounds and seven assists in a blowout win.
"She followed that performance by not backing down against four-time MVP A'ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces," analyst Isabel Gonzalez said. "Despite the Lynx taking a 100-97 loss, Miles scored 29 points on 55% shooting, including some buckets while going against Wilson herself.
As Gonzalez notes, that game against the Aces was a career-high in scoring for the rookie star. Miles followed that up by setting a new benchmark of 31 points, including a rookie-record 24 first-half points, against the Los Angeles Sparks.
The completeness of her game and her ability to lead a team in Year 1 has former NBA All-Star Brandon Jennings debating whether Miles can be in the running for MVP in addition to ROTY.
This acclaim is certainly notable, but it has forced WNBA analyst Phil Mackey to consider if Miles is already one of the best players in the W, regardless of age.
Mackey notes how Miles' efficiency has given her a slight edge over one of the faces of women's basketball worldwide.
"Olivia Miles is ninth in scoring average at 19 points a game, just one behind Caitlin Clark, on 57% from the field versus Caitlin Clark, who’s at 40% from the field this season," Mackey said. "Caitlin Clark is not nearly the efficient scorer that Olivia Miles is, even though she does have playmaking ability."
Like Clark, Miles can impact the game with more than just her scoring. As an undersized point guard, she's often called upon to playmake when she can't get to her spots.
"I’ve seen enough in the first 15 games of her WNBA career to say that she is one of the best playmakers in terms of distribution, pace, finding open dribbling lanes, passing lanes, in the entire league as a rookie," Mackey said about Miles.
That was the story in Fort Worth, too. The Phillipsburg, New Jersey native was the only Division I player last year to have at least 25 career double-doubles and five triple-doubles. Her career 6.5 assists per game led all players at the end of her time in college.
Mackey's claim is a bold one, but you can't argue with the production that Miles has shown in her debut season.
"So, to reiterate my take. After 15 games, I’ve seen enough. Olivia Miles is a better player than Caitlin Clark."
