Individual brilliance aside, Olivia Miles is having a great time partnering up with her teammates in the Minnesota Lynx as one of the main facilitators for Cheryl Reeve's side.

Miles' partnership with Natasha Howard has been the engine of Minnesota’s offense all season, as she broke down exactly how it works in a recent press conference.

“I think one is synergy: It’s knowing where she wants to be,” Miles said, per Lynx reporter Andrew Dukowitz. “And two: It’s on her and her getting me open first. So she gets me open first, and then I get her open, if that makes sense. It’s like a one-two punch.”

The on-court chemistry certainly shows up in the box score as well. Even as a rookie, Miles is one of the league's most proficient scorers, averaging 18.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. 

She also became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 350-plus points and 100-plus assists, beating out both Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark to that mark.

As Miles has been breaking one or the other rookie record almost every single week, it did not take long for the voters to take notice.

Alongside Howard, the No. 2 overall pick also finished among the WNBA’s top vote-getters across the fan, player, and media ballots that determine All-Star starters. Again, in just her first season.

Fans have been ecstatic about Miles ever since her inception into the league, and head coach Cheryl Reeve has also joined the party to talk about what this latest honor means for her team.

Cheryl Reeve Reveals the Excitement Around the Team for Miles' Latest Honor

The Lynx may seem all business from the outside, but they have their fair share of fun moments within the squad too.

We’ve seen Courtney Williams calling Miles “Baby Chelsea Gray” early on in the season, and after her All-Star selection, it was Reeve's turn to rave about her team’s All-Star starters.

“I mean, it’s really exciting for both of them,” Reeve said.

“When the announcement was made, just genuine excitement for each other. I think we all understand, sort of, there’s a rookie and how unprecedented, she’s the only rookie in this game. But for Howard, to kind of get back to that space, just really excited for her.”

The WNBA All-Star Game will happen on July 25 at the United Center in Chicago. But before that, the 15-5 Miles and the Lynx are looking forward to gaining momentum against the 4-16 Connecticut Sun following a defeat against the New York Liberty.

So, do you think Olivia Miles is the clear favorite to win the Rookie of the Year honors? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy