{
  "id": 12968318,
  "title": "Lynx rookie Olivia Miles finishes second in WNBA MVP voting behind A'ja Wilson",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/lynx-rookie-olivia-miles-finishes-second-in-wnba-mvp-voting-behind",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-08T22:16:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lynx-rookie-olivia-miles-finishes-221629118.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a surprising turn of events, Lynx rookie Olivia Miles fell short of becoming the first-ever rookie to win the WNBA MVP award. Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson secured the honor for an impressive fifth time, marking the third consecutive year she claimed the title. Miles secured a commendable second-place finish in the voting, garnering six first place votes compared to Wilson's 65. She earned a total of 442 voting points, trailing Wilson's remarkable 713 points.\n\nMinnesota native Paige Bueckers rounded out the top five in MVP voting, with Wilson, Miles, two Indiana Fever guards (Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark), and Breanna Stewart completing the list.\n\nWilson's dominant season was evident as she led the league with an average of 26.2 points per game, the second-best single-season average in WNBA history. The Aces fell to the Golden State Valkyries 2-0 in the playoff semifinals. Miles' second-place finish is the highest achieved by a rookie in the award's history, following Candace Parker's victory in 2008.\n\nMiles' stellar performance was recognized with a unanimous selection as the league's Rookie of the Year in late September. She established herself as one of the most dominant rookies in the league, being named the WNBA's Rookie of the Month in May, June, July, and August. Miles contributed significantly to the Lynx's impressive season, securing the best record in the WNBA despite the absence of injured star Napheesa Collier.\n\nThe Lynx's success, however, came to an abrupt end as they were swept by New York in the first round of the WNBA playoffs. Miles concluded her first postseason appearance with 16 points on 4-of-20 shooting from the field. Despite the disappointing conclusion, the Lynx have secured a new cornerstone star to build around, regardless of Collier's future plans.",
  "summary": "Miles' second-place finish is the highest by a rookie since Candace Parker won the award in 2008.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}