LaMelo Ball has been in Minnesota for about five minutes, and he’s already clocked the best basketball player in the state right now. It’s not Karl-Anthony Towns. It’s not Anthony Edwards. It’s a 5-foot-11 rookie point guard for the Lynx named Olivia Miles.
Ball spoke publicly for the first time since the Timberwolves traded for him this summer, and someone asked if he’d seen any of Miles’ WNBA games. His answer was quick and simple.
“Of course,” Ball said. “She’s cold.”
That’s high praise from a guy who made an All-Star team and won Rookie of the Year himself. And honestly, the numbers back him up.
The Rookie Who Changed Everything in Minnesota
Miles was the No. 2 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, and she’s been everything the Lynx could have hoped for and more. Through 22 games she’s averaging 19.4 points, 5.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals. She’s shooting 50.5 percent from the floor, 36.1 percent from three and 88.1 percent from the free-throw line. Those are MVP-level numbers, and people are starting to say it out loud.
Here’s the wild part. The Lynx are playing this season without Napheesa Collier, who’s still rehabbing from an injury that kept her out last year. That alone should have tanked their season. Instead, Minnesota owns the best record in the WNBA at 18-6. They’re a full game ahead of the Aces and the Valkyries. That doesn’t happen by accident.
Miles missed two games with a calf injury. The Lynx went 1-1 without her. So yeah, she kind of matters.
A Point Guard Duel the Twin Cities Never Saw Coming
It’s funny. The Timberwolves traded for Ball to run their offense, and everyone expected him to be the headliner in town. But Miles stole that spotlight before Ball even put on a Wolves uniform. Two point guards, two teams, one city, and suddenly Minnesota has a claim to the best young guard in both leagues.
Ball is obviously the more established name. He’s been in the league for years, he’s got the flashy game and the bigger platform. But Miles is doing something legitimately historic. She’s not just the Rookie of the Year frontrunner. She’s in the MVP conversation. And she got her team to the top of the standings without their best player.
The Lynx are on a three-game winning streak right now. They face the Sparks on Wednesday. Miles will probably do something that makes people text their friends about it. That’s just what she does now.
Ball saw it. He said it. She’s cold.
Leave a Comment