Olivia Miles has taken the WNBA by storm. At this point, it almost feels like the Rookie of the Year award is hers to lose. The bigger question now is whether she can put together the greatest rookie season in WNBA history. She is already on pace to surpass the outstanding debut campaigns of fellow stars like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers. But as remarkable as those seasons were, they may not even be the benchmark she has to beat.
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According to WNBA analyst Caroline Fenton, the ultimate rookie season, and the one Miles must surpass, belongs to WNBA legend Candace Parker.
“The ultimate rookie season that every rookie is and should be compared to is Candace Parker’s,” Fenton said, speaking on Wednesday’s episode of the Yahoo Sports Daily. “Candace Parker won Rookie of the Year and MVP. She is the first player to do that and is the only player in WNBA history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP. So unless Olivia Miles wins MVP this season in her rookie year, which I do not think is a crazy conversation to have, she cannot be considered the best rookie in league history.”
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Right now, Olivia Miles has the numbers to be mentioned alongside those three stellar rookie seasons: Caitlin Clark’s, Bueckers’ and Parker’s. She is currently averaging 18.7 points per game. That’s a little above Parker’s 18.5 and just below Caitlin Clark’s and Bueckers’ 19.2.
And so, as Fenton said, it seems very plausible that Miles might get this achievement. The Minnesota Lynx, right now, are to a large extent the best team in the WNBA. And as Fenton said, Miles is the motor that keeps the team running. If, per adventure, the Lynx go on to win the WNBA championship while Miles keeps up her current performance, she might eventually earn the title of having the best rookie season in WNBA history.
While the Lynx have for sure been the best team so far, it is still too early to say for certain that they will eventually win the WNBA championship. They definitely look like a top favorite right now. And that is a very good start.
Sports Host Jason Fitz Makes Strong Argument for Olivia Miles Having the Greatest Rookie Season Ever
Without a shadow of doubt, WNBA legend Candace Parker had quite a phenomenal rookie season. Sports host Jason Fitz agrees with Caroline Fenton’s view of Parker’s historic rookie campaign. But still, he believes Miles might still have an edge, even without winning MVP.
His argument is the same age-old argument that many basketball fans call upon when comparing Michael Jordan and LeBron James to determine the GOAT. And that is the difference in eras.
“The league’s better now,” Fitz said. “There’s more talent now. It’s deeper now. So, I think what Olivia is doing as a rookie in this campaign so far might be the greatest rookie season we’ve ever seen.”
If Miles does end up winning Rookie of the Year without MVP, the argument will definitely still linger over whether she or Parker had the best rookie season ever. Perhaps the best way to completely settle that debate is for Miles to win WNBA MVP too, just like Fenton said.
