Olivia Miles has looked comfortable in the WNBA almost from the moment she stepped on the floor. Against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 17, the Minnesota Lynx rookie showed exactly why.
Miles scored a career-high 31 points in Minnesota's 99-83 victory, putting together another standout performance in what has quickly become an impressive rookie campaign. Twenty-four of her points came in the first half, including 17 in the second quarter, when she took control of the game and helped the Lynx build a lead the Sparks could never fully erase.
The game was still within reach midway through the second quarter when Miles began putting on a show. She attacked the paint with confidence, using her crafty ballhandling and creativity to maneuver around defenders and create scoring opportunities seemingly at will. Whether she was finishing around the basket or setting up teammates, Miles looked like anything but a rookie.
Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts could only tip her cap afterward.
"She's good," Roberts said matter-of-factly. "She's talented and, what I said pregame, she's super skilled. So we were trying to mix things up. We didn't execute it exactly how we'd hoped to all the time. But you have to just tip your hat to her. She's a great player with a lot of skill. Her ball-handling and vision is what separates her."
Although Miles' rise has been one of the early stories of the WNBA season, she admitted even she has been surprised by how quickly everything has come together.
"I'm more so surprised with just the ability to be me so early on, which is a credit to my environment," Miles said. "Cheryl has been amazing, my teammates have been amazing. They wanted me to be really comfortable. I always knew what I could do as a player and had that confidence. I thought I'd make an impact, just not this quick, for sure."
Miles credits much of her success to the relationships she has built with Minnesota's veteran core.
"I think I'm getting their trust and respect because I've taken the time to build relationships with them and allowed them to know me as a person," she said. "It's allowed them to trust me easier."
Her confidence stems from something that has followed her throughout her basketball career: an innate feel for the game.
"My IQ and the way that I play translate either way," Miles said. "When you have a feel for the game, I've been able to play at any level. I understand the game, and I think that's translating."
That confidence has also been nurtured by Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who Miles said has allowed her to grow into herself rather than force her into a mold.
"She kind of lets me be me," Miles said. "That's kind of the best thing I've learned from her. Obviously, be smart and stay within the structure, but be me."
On a night when the Lynx offense was firing on all cylinders, it was the rookie guard who stole the spotlight. And if Miles' career-high performance against the Sparks was any indication, she is only beginning to scratch the surface of what she can become.