Olivia Miles is already lighting up the WNBA MVP race, proving that falling to No. 2 in the 2026 draft was a total blunder for whoever passed on her. Forget Rookie of the Year, which she's practically locked up; Miles is making a legitimate run for the league's top individual honor a week before the All-Star break. It's midseason, and the competition for Rookie of the Year was supposed to be fierce, but this supernova up north has already sprinted past the finish line.
Miles Is Stealing the Show in Minnesota
Seriously, this kid is unreal. Miles is sitting eighth in the WNBA for points per game with 19.4 and also eighth in assists at 5.7. She’s even fifth in the entire league in offensive win shares. And her shooting? She’s hitting 51 percent from the floor, 36 percent from beyond the arc, and a ridiculous 88 percent from the free throw line. Miles is leading the 19-6 Minnesota Lynx in both points and assists, which is just wild for a rookie. The numbers are impressive, but watching her play? It's even more dominant. That pick-and-roll mastery we all saw at Notre Dame and TCU? It's translated seamlessly, thanks to her awesome synergy with Minnesota's bigs. Her scoring has totally blown past what she did in the NCAA. Miles isn't just putting up empty stats in blowouts, either. She's actively steering a veteran Lynx squad back toward title contention. That kind of impact from a rookie is super rare. Barring some kind of disaster, and hopefully, nothing bad happened in the Lynx's latest win over the Los Angeles Sparks, she's the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year.Azzi Fudd Showing Flashes in Dallas
Then you’ve got Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick for the Dallas Wings. She came into the WNBA with a ton of hype and a lot of questions, especially about whether she could develop beyond being an off-ball threat like she was at UConn. While she hasn't fully shown that high-caliber creation ability yet, she's definitely silenced a lot of the doubters about her pro readiness. Fudd started the season on the bench for Dallas, but she's been a consistent starter since late May. She’s dropped four 20-point outings and only been held to single-digit scoring in seven of her 23 games. She's shooting 37 percent from three on high volume, but her 53 percent clip from two-point range on more than six attempts per game is a more promising sign of versatility that people worried wouldn't translate. Still, the concerns about her prospect profile are still there: she's a very poor rebounder and doesn't create enough advantages to be anything more than a connective passer. Her scoring is keeping her afloat, but she's still navigating those ancillary moments on offense. Man, what a night in the WNBA! While Miles and Fudd are battling it out, our own Storm unfortunately took a 90-95 loss against the Chicago Sky. Tough one, but you know the Emerald City always bounces back. We'll be watching closely to see if Miles can actually pull off the MVP, or if Fudd finds that next gear.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.