The WNBA season is underway, with rookies making an immediate impact. Team identities are slowly taking shape. It’s the rookies who are shining.
Miles off to a Strong Start
Olivia Miles, the No 2 pick, is making a splash. Through her first six games, Miles is the fifth player in WNBA history to average 15 points a game and five assists. She joins Candace Parker, Sue Bird, Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu.
She appears to be enjoying herself on the court. She’s constantly grinning and doing her patented skip after a big play. She has also learned the Minnesota Lynx’s electric slide celebration.
Impact on Her Team
The point guard has elevated her teammates. Courtney Williams is finally able to play off the ball in her natural position. Natasha Howard had a rare 26-point eruption, and Kayla McBride is joyfully receiving passes perfectly in her shooting pocket.
Miles is leading all rookies in points. Her team is in fourth place without Napheesa Collier. If Miles keeps this up, the Rookie of the Year trophy is hers.
Fudd’s Breakout Game
Azzi Fudd also had a standout performance. What started as a back-and-forth battle between the Dallas Wings and the New York Liberty finished as Fudd’s breakout game. She rattled off six threes, breaking the rookie franchise record that her teammate Paige Bueckers set last season.
After starting the second half, she scored 17 in the third quarter. That’s the second-most single-quarter points by a rookie in WNBA history. The No 1 overall pick finished with 24 points, a career high, in 32 minutes off the bench.
Head coach Jose Fernandez still won’t commit to moving Fudd to the starting five. In a post-game interview, Fudd said she’d been rushing her shots in previous games. Now, if she’s ever doubting herself, she can go back and watch this game where her shooting arm transformed.
We’re less than three weeks into the WNBA season, and we’ve already witnessed a little bit of everything.