How Olivia Miles and Azzi Fudd's Rookie Starts Stack Up Heading Into Lynx vs Wings

Among plenty of rising young WNBA talent, two notable names will have the chance to take center stage as the Dallas Wings and Minnesota Lynx duke it out in a weeknight matchup.

The battle of the top two picks in the 2026 WNBA Draft will be the second WNBA clash between Olivia Miles and Azzi Fudd, who faced off early in the 2026 regular season in what would be a Lynx win. The two once faced off as rising standouts in 2022, when the future collegiate stars squared off in what would ultimately end as a 74-60 Notre Dame victory over UConn. They'll face off once more at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday in the Target Center, where the Lynx are 4-2 at home this season following recent Commissioner's Cup wins over the Seattle Storm and Golden State Valkyries.

How do Miles and Fudd stack up heading into the contest?

Olivia Miles

It's not often the term "generational" is thrown around without concrete proof to back it up.

In the eyes of Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve, two players held "generational skills" heading into the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Miles, with her passing, playmaking and leadership, ended her final collegiate season with a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team at TCU after earning three All-ACC selections at Notre Dame. The former 5-star recruit climbed up to fifth on Notre Dame's all-time assists board before her single season with the Horned Frogs, where she ranked second in the NCAA in total assists last season.

The Lynx picked her up with the No. 2 pick in the 2026 Draft, where Reeve championed her as their first "real" point guard since a Basketball Hall-of-Famer and Minnesota legend in Lindsay Whalen in a post-draft conference.

Even if the "generational" tag never left, it didn't take long for Reeve to use it as a more all-encompassing term for the rookie guard.

"What I said on draft night was that there were two players that had generational skills," Reeve said in a Lynx practice. "I would now classify her as a generational talent."

Cheryl Reeve on what they identified in scouting to see Olivia Miles as one of the two players that the Lynx identified having a “generational skill”

“What I said on draft night is that there were two players that had generational skills, I would now classify her(Miles) as a… pic.twitter.com/NTWacNSNd0
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) June 8, 2026

Miles, who joined the Lynx one year after foregoing the 2025 WNBA Draft, has exceeded any hype on a Minnesota squad that has steamrolled its way to a league-best 9-2 record.

The remarkable rookie's signature passing prowess has more than translated to the pros, where her vision and smarts have paved the path to leading the Lynx in assists per game. Miles defied her slower start from beyond the arc by putting her name in the rookie record books with a lights-out 3-point performance in a win over the Valkyries, which followed up a monumental month that guided her to May's Rookie of the Month selection.

There have yet to be real signs of slowing down for the Lynx's young floor general, who will need to play a key role in claiming a win over the Wings after logging 15 points and six assists in their first go-around this season. Miles will enter the night as the leader of this year's rookie class in total points, assists and steals in her first 11 games. She has yet to drop below double-digit points and has surpassed 20 on two occasions, including in her season-opening matchup against the Atlanta Dream.

Azzi Fudd

Whether it be over nine games or many more, it's never wise to quit on a proven winner before they've truly had the chance to bloom.

Fudd entered the 2026 Draft a winner at every level, including in a 24-point performance that helped guide UConn to a National Championship win in 2025. Wings General Manager Curt Miller, who called Fudd a "true winner" during his post-draft conference, raved about her offensive impact after she ended her final year at UConn with an average of just over 17 points per game.

"Obviously, the skills on the court start with her offensive game, her elite shooting ability and her lightning-quick release," Miller said. "Her movement when she's off the ball is truly, truly special."

While it took some time for her to land her first start in a victory over the Las Vegas Aces, Fudd has built up an average of 12 points per contest on a scorching clip of just over 56% from the floor. The Wings' current winning ways blossomed alongside her burgeoning brilliance: They've pushed out to a stellar record of their own after notching their seventh win of the season and their sixth in seven matchups with a Cup victory over the Los Angeles Sparks. Fudd is one of four Wings with double-digit points per night, while adding on a team-leading 1.2 steals per game.

Fudd's scoring off the ball, along with her connection with Dallas's other early standouts, opened the door to two consecutive 20-point outings to end off Dallas's May schedule. Her quick release came in handy in what would be two signature wins over the Aces and New York Liberty, where she'd compile nine made 3-pointers on 17 attempts.

Her shooting is a skill Reeve also dubbed "generational". And Fudd's own coach is more than content with her development following a lot of discussion about her starting the season off the bench.

"I'm really proud of her because she stayed the course," Wings Head Coach Jose Fernandez said in a postgame conference following the Liberty win. "She really showed on the national stage on bright lights, in a tough place to play and on national TV.

"I think, now, everyone knows why we took her No. 1."

Here's how Fudd and Miles compare statistically entering the showdown:

2026 Season Stats	Olivia Miles	Azzi Fudd
PPG	17.2	12.0
RPG	5.0	1.3
APG	6.4	1.2
SPG	1.5	1.2
FG%	51.9	56.3
3PT%	34.4	41.7

It remains to be seen who will get the best of this upcoming game, and which rookie will ultimately have the better career. But one thing seems clear—both the Wings and Lynx should be satisfied with their selections.

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