Former TCU point guard Olivia Miles had a feeling she wouldn't be picked first overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft, even after her agent told her that was a possibility.
"At the time of the draft, you’re talking to different teams and whatnot, getting their feedback," Miles said in a podcast appearance with Abby Wambach, Billie Jean King and Julie Foudy.
"My agent was like, ‘You’re probably going to go one or two.’ …. I knew I wasn't going to go No. 1 just because I understand how this works.
"I know there’s a lot more to it than I realize, and I was just grateful with whatever team was going to take a chance on me."
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The Dallas Wings used their top pick to select UConn sharpshooter Azzi Fudd, reuniting her with former teammate and romantic partner Paige Bueckers. The connection was obvious, and the Wings' lack of perimeter shooting was another reason the pick made sense.
But Miles' breakout rookie season has clearly surpassed that of any other rookie … so much so that she's being whispered about winning the MVP in addition to the Rookie of the Year award.
"You want to go No. 1, I think that’s what you strive for. I’d be lying if I sat here and said I wasn’t disappointed that I didn’t go No. 1," Miles said.
"I feel like I fully deserved it, but it ultimately it’s put me where I am now, and I literally wouldn’t have it any other way, and I’m so blessed and I’m so grateful."
The ex-Horned Frog is averaging 19.7 points and 6.2 assists per game on the Minnesota Lynx, who have the W's best record at 31-8 overall. The Lynx are an astounding 17-2 on the road this season.
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Fudd has played well for the Wings, but she recently underwent a season-ending knee operation. Dallas has clinched a playoff spot with a 23-16 record, currently the seventh-best in the league.
Miles was ranked this week by ESPN as the fourth-best WNBA player this season, firmly placing her in potential MVP conversations as the postseason nears. She sits below superstars A'ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark and Breanna Stewart, and above Bueckers, Jackie Young, Lynx teammate Napheesa Collier and Kelsey Mitchell.
Only one player, Hall of Famer Candace Parker, has won the WNBA MVP award in their rookie season.
Miles put up 19.7 points and 6.7 assists per game for TCU in the 2025-26 campaign, her lone season in Fort Worth after multiple All-American years at Notre Dame.
