Rookie Watch: Olivia Miles Puts Her Name Next to WNBA Icons As All-Star Starter

Plus, a look at Flau’jae Johnson’s current heater and whether Azzi Fudd had a real All-Star case.

To no surprise, Olivia Miles became a WNBA All-Star in her first season as she has led the Lynx to the top of the standings. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The WNBA season is at its midway point. All-Star teams have been announced and less than two weeks from the break, the league’s newest players have gotten a healthy sample size to evaluate their first seasons.

This year’s WNBA rookie class was yet another star-studded group—UConn standout Azzi Fudd at the top, followed by new Lynx superstar Olivia Miles and Spanish phenom Awa Fam. That’s before you even get to Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalić who led UCLA’s run through the NCAA tournament to the program’s first title last season. Plus, plenty of players found their footing in the league and starred out of seemingly nowhere—has anyone seen what Sydney Taylor’s doing in Chicago?

Throughout the season, Sports Illustrated has keyed in on the WNBA’s extraordinary rookie class led by Miles, who’s already one of the best players in the entire league. As we approach the break, here’s a look into All-Star results from a rookie lens and other quick-hitters across the league from the top players in this year’s class:

Flau’jae Johnson’s stellar stretch for Seattle

It’s been a rough year for the Storm as they sit next to the Sun at the bottom of the WNBA standings at 6–17. However, there’s reason to believe the skies may clear sooner than expected in Seattle. Dominique Malonga earned her first All-Star appearance, Fam has shown the potential to become another elite big and, maybe most notably, Flau’jae Johnson has become a draft hit after a confusing draft night.

Johnson’s rookie season has had its ups and downs, but she’s in the midst of a hot stretch that’s raised eyebrows. Over Seattle’s past five games, Johnson averaged 17.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in a stretch where the Storm went 3–2. She had a career-high 28 points in a win over the Liberty on June 25 that snapped a dreadful 11-game losing skid, then she followed it up with 24 points and 11 rebounds in a win over the Dream.

Seattle’s momentum cooled after that as Johnson had a couple rough games—she had just one point on an 0-for-5 night from the field in a loss to the Fire—but she bounced back with a 23-point night in a win over the Sparks on Monday.

Flau’jae Johnson tonight 🔥

• 23 points
• 5 rebounds
• 3 assists pic.twitter.com/gjKFdUBYYj

— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) July 7, 2026

The former LSU star has scored the most points of any rookie besides Olivia Miles (who’s in a class of her own) and she makes a huge impact on defense for a team that hopes to make that its identity. Johnson has had her moments as a facilitator, too, as she’s taken the reins as Seattle’s guard of the future alongside the franchise’s promising frontcourt duo of Malonga and Fam.

Olivia Miles joins elite company as All-Star starter in rookie season

To no surprise, Miles became a WNBA All-Star in her first season as she helped lead the Lynx to the top of the standings without Napheesa Collier. A much-deserved honor that puts the flashy guard next to some league legends. Per the Lynx, Miles joins Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Brittney Griner, Elena Della Donne, Shoni Schimmel, Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers as the only rookies to be named a WNBA All-Star starter.

Minnesota’s star rookie has answered the call every step of the way as she leads rookies in points and assists by a mile and she’s currently 11th in the entire league in scoring at 18.5 points per game. She’s eighth in the WNBA in assists per game at 5.7, which is more than names like Skylar Diggins and fellow All-Star and teammate Courtney Williams. What jumps out when you watch Miles is the nifty passes and crafty finishes near the hoop, but she’s been just as effective on the defensive side of the ball, which was a question as she entered the draft. She currently has the best defensive rating (96.1) of any player that sees 20 or more minutes per game as she’s averaged 2.2 stocks (steals plus blocks) a night. She finds ways to put pressure on the perimeter and get into passing lanes, which turns defense into easy offense. 

That’s in addition to everything she does in the halfcourt, masterfully conducting an elite offense like a 10-year veteran in a rookie’s body. The runaway Rookie of the Year was bound to be an All-Star and she put her name alongside some of the greatest players in WNBA history along the way.

Is Azzi Fudd an All-Star snub?

Speaking of All-Stars, it’s time to discuss those who missed the cut. Miles was the only shoo-in from her rookie class, but top pick Fudd has made a run as of late. Last week, I wrote about how Fudd’s rookie season with the Wings has gone exactly to plan. That remains the case as she’s quickly developed into one of the WNBA’s premier three-point shooters and is a perfect fit to space the floor for Bueckers, Jessica Shepard and Arike Ogunbowale.

Fudd leads all rookies in steals with 37 and is tied with Johnson for the most blocks (20). She has the most three-pointers of anyone in her class (37), connecting on 36.9% of her 4.9 shot attempts from deep per game. She averaged 13.2 points per game, which puts her 32nd in the league—much too low of a number for a true All-Star hopeful. That said, Fudd did finish fourth in fan voting amongst guards. That didn’t get her in as she finished 15th in the media vote and 28th in the player rank, which counts for 25% apiece in addition to 50% from the fans for the All-Star starters group. This wasn’t the year for Fudd to make her maiden All-Star appearance—players like Brittney Sykes, Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper and Veronica Burton were also left out—but there’s reason to believe she may get the nod sooner rather than later.

She’s already surpassed Ogunbowale as a scoring option for the Wings. Dallas is only on the rise and if the Bueckers-Fudd duo continues at its current pace, the pair can be All-Star teammates numerous times throughout their careers. Shepard’s emergence as one of the top all-around players in the league raises Dallas’s ceiling immensely, and if the team stays on its current trajectory, the Wings will be a force for years to come with the franchise’s young core at the forefront.

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