When the Minnesota Lynx selected Olivia Miles with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, they knew they were getting a special talent. But even the most promising rookies face growing pains, and Miles' preseason has been no exception. As she works to take the reins of a championship-caliber organization while adjusting to the WNBA, the learning curve has been real.
Yet when the bright moments come, they shine brilliantly. Every time Miles has stepped on the court during the preseason, flashes of her electric playmaking ability have been on full display. Using her explosive speed and tight handle, she's blown past defenders and finished at the rim with authority.
"She's really got some jets getting to the rim," Lynx coach and basketball boss Cheryl Reeve said.
And that's exactly what Minnesota has been missing. The Lynx boasted the WNBA's most efficient offense last season, but their success was built largely on perimeter shooting — they led the league in 3-point percentage. The problem? Their paint presence came almost exclusively from bigs. With Alanna Smith and Jess Shepard now in Dallas, and Napheesa Collier and Dorka Juhász sidelined by injuries to start the season, that interior punch has vanished.
Reeve has acknowledged that Minnesota will open the season with a more guard-oriented identity when they tip off Saturday against Atlanta. Enter Miles, who will serve as a primary source of rim pressure — a skill that has been conspicuously absent from the Lynx's arsenal in recent years.
Minnesota's backcourt duo of Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams is excellent, but both are primarily jump shooters. McBride thrives beyond the arc, while Williams excels in the mid-range. Effective as that is, it doesn't break down defenses the way a driver who collapses the paint does. Last season, the Lynx attempted fewer than 30 shots in the paint per game — second fewest in the league ahead of only Golden State.
The math is simple: the more players who force defenses to rotate and help, the easier it becomes to generate quality looks for everyone, especially in the postseason. Miles knows this. As a point guard, she understands her job is to initiate and organize the offense. But she admits it's been "interesting" finding her confidence while directing veterans who have been in the league for years. She's also had to adjust to the pace and physicality of the professional game.
Still, aggression should remain her default setting. The more she compromises opposing defenses with her quickness, the clearer her decision-making becomes — and the better Minnesota's offense will function while their best player recovers.
"Been a very, very confident player," Reeve said. "Has really stepped onto the court knowing not only that she belongs, but what her impact can be on our franchise."
For a team that has long lacked dynamic guard penetration, Miles might just be the missing piece they didn't know they needed.