Minnesota Lynx rookie point guard continues to pace the best team in the WNBA. Miles, who spent her college career between Notre Dame and TCU, orchestrates the Minnesota offense, flowing between facilitating and scoring. Defensively, she provided excellent on-ball defense, with deflections and the agility to stay with most opposing guards.
Miles was chosen with the No.2 pick in this year’s WNBA draft, one spot after former UConn standout Azzi Fudd, drafted by the Dallas Wings. With Miles’ success, as compared to Fudd’s perception, each rookie season shifted. One analyst laid out a take on each player, providing context and examples along the way.
WNBA Analyst Believes the Dallas Wings Should’ve Drafted Olivia Miles
With an overall record of 21-16, Dallas sits firmly in the eighth and last playoff spot, as of this writing. A winning record is a far cry from a team that struggled a year ago. Meanwhile, the Lynx are regarded as not only the best team in the league but also the odds-on favorite to win the WNBA championship. The Athletic’s national women’s basketball writer, Annie Costabile, thinks Dallas erred in drafting Fudd over Miles.
“Olivia Miles should have been the No. 1 overall pick.” 🗣️@AnnieCostabile makes the case for Olivia Miles over Azzi Fudd 👀
(via Yahoo Sports Daily) pic.twitter.com/0nnVZOQ4PZ
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 21, 2026
Costabile proclaimed that she knew early that Miles should’ve ended up in Dallas.
“I was saying since the very beginning, ‘Olivia Miles should have been the No. 1 overall pick.’ And I think we’re seeing why now. If you’re considering Dallas making a selection on the best player available, that was Olivia and is Olivia.”
Before a knee injury ended her rookie season, Fudd averaged 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, shooting 45.6% from the field in the process. Miles leads the Lynx in points (19.9 ppg) and assists (6.1 apg), while shooting 50.3% from the field. Costabile discussed another reason why Dallas selected Fudd over Miles, citing organizational construction.
“When you consider the fit in Dallas, it looks like she ended up in a better situation in Minnesota, not only positionally, but because of the talent in that roster. Olivia and Paige are both franchise players. It’s not to say they couldn’t have worked together. But you also need to draft and make selections based on that fit as well.”
In essence, Fudd made more sense as a complementary player rather than a centerpiece, as Costabile asserts. Both Miles and Paige Bueckers are point guards. While each can and will score, Dallas may have thought they needed finishers who would benefit from Bueckers passes. On the other hand, Costabile sees a positive future for the Lynx with Miles running the point.
“When it comes to Minnesota, you have a young player in Olivia with the keys to the castle.”
As Miles continues to lead the Lynx into the upper echelon of the WNBA, Fudd will continue to be compared to her based on draft position. Time will tell whether the comparison will even out or remain decidedly in Miles’ favor.
