The WNBA has a new youth story, and former player and WNBA legend Candace Parker has already picked her side for the league's most compelling award race.

Parker is backing Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles not just for Rookie of the Year, but for MVP too. That is a big call, given that A’ja Wilson is still putting up record numbers every night.

But Parker believes Miles has done something special. She has helped keep Minnesota at the top while carrying a huge load in Napheesa Collier's absence.

"Olivia Miles is just on a whole another level. Leading the team without Napheesa Collier," Parker said in the Post Moves with Candace Parker & Aliyah Boston. "I don't think even Napheesa… I don't think Cheryl thought they would be in this position without Napheesa at this point in time."

Collier missed the first 27 games of the 2026 season after undergoing surgeries on both ankles. Her absence wasn't a minor footnote; it was supposed to define Minnesota's season.

Collier is a five-time All-Star, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, and the WNBA's back-to-back MVP runner-up in 2024 and 2025.

Losing her for two-plus months should have sunk a Lynx team that also lost Bridget Carleton, Alanna Smith and Jessica Shephard in free agency.

Instead, Minnesota never left the top of the standings. Collier finally made her season debut just before the All-Star break, and the Lynx have barely missed a beat since.

They beat A'ja Wilson and the defending-champion Aces 98-87 on August 8, improving to 26-7 with a three-game cushion.

That is the part Parker is pointing to.

Miles has been the connector for everything Minnesota does this season

Through 31 games, she's averaging 20.0 points, 5.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks. At the same time, she's shooting 50% from the field, 38.6% from three and 87.8% at the line.

She's scored 20-plus points in 15 games this season and hasn't missed a start.

Miles also became the fastest player in league history to reach 400 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists in 22 games, and later became the fastest to 600 points and 150 assists, needing just 31.

On top of that, she was the only rookie chosen as an All-Star starter. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve has also credited Miles for the team's success this season.

"(Miles) doing this and shouldering so much, basically... the success of the team is on her shoulders and that is impressive how she's handled it," Reeve said, per USA Today.

Only one player in WNBA history has ever won Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season: Candace Parker. She did it in 2008, after being selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.

Parker averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists that year, edging out Lindsay Whalen and Sue Bird for the league's top individual honor.

Whether Miles becomes the second player to pull it off remains to be seen. Miles has the numbers. She has the wins. She has the spotlight. And she has the best possible support from the one player who has done this before.

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Written by

Md Saife Fida

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit