Minnesota Lynx point guard Olivia Miles is being compared to Dawn Staley based on her playing style. Miles played college basketball for Notre Dame and TCU, and she was the No. 2 overall pick at the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Miles was the Big 12 Player of the Year and made the First-team All-Big 12 in 2026. Over the course of her college career, the 23-year-old established herself as one of the best scorers and playmakers in college basketball.
She entered the WNBA with high expectations riding on her shoulders, and Miles has managed to live up to those expectations so far. In nine games, she is averaging 15.8 points on nearly 50% shooting with 6.3 assists and 5 rebounds.
A clip of her game against Phoenix went viral on social media, and fans noticed similarities between her game and how Dawn Staley used to play.
“she moves like Dawn Staley back in the day, back when refs thought Dawn had to be traveling because they did not think a woman was capable of the sh*t she was doing, Dawn was before her time… about 30 years,” a fan wrote.
“anyone wondering what did Dawn Staley do back in the day to be so revered need only watch Olivia Miles play,” a fan wrote.
“Out there hooping like Dawn Staley use to,” a fan wrote.
“This is very good film. A few defensive plays in there as well. If this was someone’s first time ever seeing her play, you’re seeing a future multi time all star, future all WNBA team player, and future champion in the WNBA,” a fan praised Miles.
“And she on one of the best teams in the wnba with the best points against on average. Minnesota lynx really decent on both sides of the court from offense to defense,” a fan wrote.
Some fans noticed that Miles didn’t attempt shots in the clip, but she is averaging 11 shot attempts per game this season.
Dawn Staley on Recruiting Oliviyah Edwards
Oliviyah Edwards had previously committed to Tennessee. The South Carolina Gamecocks were on her shortlist in August last year, but she decided to commit to Tennessee. However, the program suffered a mass exodus, and they ended up losing Edwards.
“She was supposed to come visit us before she committed to Tennessee,” Staley told The State. “She called me on her Tennessee visit to tell me that she’s committing [to Tennessee].”
In April this year, after being released from her National Letter of Intent, Edwards visited Dawn Staley’s program. Once again, Edwards had several programs lined up for her, but she decided to be a part of the Gamecocks’ roster.
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