The most annoying thing about rookie Olivia Miles is that she could have been on the Sky. Had the Sky not traded away a pick swap to move up for Angel Reese in 2024, they could’ve taken her at No. 2 in 2026.
“Sorry about that,” Miles laughed before the game. “It’s not my fault.”
She’s right on that one. But Miles is responsible for the second-most annoying thing about her, which is that through her first six games with the Minnesota Lynx, she’s made the transition look too easy.
Even “generationally talented” rookies are supposed to suffer through a harsh adjustment period—a phase where the pro game overwhelms them, where their college moves don’t work quite as well.
Miles, however, looks like pretty much the same player from Notre Dame and TCU. Orchestrating the Lynx offense, creating for herself, and dictating tempo, she’s already averaging 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
“She’s existed on the court like she’s been doing it for a while,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said before Saturday’s game, which ended in a 85-75 Minnesota win.
If you’re feeling insecure—as Sky fans might be after dropping two straight—Miles’ instant stardom can get under your skin. It begs the question: why isn’t the pressure of leading a storied franchise getting to her? Does she ever even struggle?
“Never,” Reeve joked last week. “What you see on the outside is exactly what’s happening at all times.”
“Kidding. They all struggle. Maya Moore struggled. Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen. They all struggled.”
Case in point: Miles’ two performances against the Sky have been far from perfect. She shot just 4-of-14 on Saturday, with as many turnovers as assists. But the flair and command in her game are undeniable.
Overall, Reeve—a four-time WNBA champion coach—is seeing things from Miles that she’s never seen before. She said she’s never coached a player who reads defenses and comes up with counters quite like Miles. She’s also never coached anyone quite as curious.
“In every gym I’ve been in, I always want to be the one asking questions and making sure I understand things and do it right,” Miles said. “I think that’s why I’ve started off so well, because I just understand concepts quicker, and I’m not afraid to ask about certain things.”
Hear that, Sky fans? She just understands concepts quicker. It’s the kind of quote you hear often from Miles; she doesn’t bother hiding the fact that she knows exactly how good she is.
Interestingly, that doesn’t necessarily mean she always feels as comfortable as she looks. Reflecting on the opening week of her career, she admitted the transition hasn’t been seamless.
“It’s very uncomfortable. I don’t like it,” Miles said. “I don’t like being down one with one minute left and having to figure it out. But that’s where you trust in your work.”
She spoke to that discomfort during training camp too, describing the tension of being a rookie handed the reins to a championship franchise.
“It’s hard,” Miles said. “As a rookie, I want to shut up and say nothing and just watch and listen. But as a point guard, your duty is to direct people and be a quarterback—to put a 15-year vet or a 10-year vet in their right place. It’s weird. It’s a weird thing to do.”
That sensitivity to the dynamics around her is why, ultimately, Miles’ confidence isn’t actually annoying. She’s even sensitive to the Sky fans lamenting the loss of a Miles-era in Chicago.
“I still love Sky fans,” Miles said. “I love Chicago. At Notre Dame, it’s like an hour and a half away, so we’re up here all the time. I love it here so much. I’ve always loved coming to Sky games and supporting. The fans have been awesome.”
They’ll just have to appreciate her from a distance.
