WNBA Rookie Watch: Olivia Miles’s Historic Night, Sydney Taylor’s Breakout in Chicago
WNBA Rookie Watch: Olivia Miles’s Historic Night, Sydney Taylor’s Breakout in Chicago
What can’t Miles do?Blake Silverman|
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Minnesota LynxChicago SkySomehow, the Lynx won’t be in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship.
Minnesota was on an eight-game winning streak when it went into Las Vegas on Saturday in a big test for superstar rookie Olivia Miles against the red-hot, defending champion Aces. Miles answered the call as she’s done game after game through her first season with a career-high 29 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, and a three-point play to take the lead with less than a minute left.
After three free throws from Aces guard Jewell Loyd, Miles had the answer again with a huge three-pointer to take the lead back with 24.5 seconds left. A’ja Wilson got fouled right after and went to the foul line, knocking down the go-ahead free throws in a back-and-forth final minute. That’s when Miles’s heroics ran out as she finally missed on a three-point attempt with less than 10 seconds remaining.
Las Vegas sealed the game, which eventually took Minnesota out of the Commissioner’s Cup final, to hand the Lynx their first loss in three weeks.
A tough loss against the defending champs fueled the standout rookie as her career-high 29 lasted just four days until she dropped 31 points with a record-setting 24 in the first half in a blowout win over the Sparks on Wednesday. Miles continues to outdo herself and stands alone at the top of her rookie class as one of the best players across the WNBA.
Sports Illustrated dedicated last week’s rookie check-in to Miles as her rookie year has been downright special. Just 15 games in, she’s put together one of the greatest first seasons we’ve ever seen.
MORE: Olivia Miles Is on Pace for One of the Best Rookie Seasons in WNBA History
The only question now is how can she outdo herself next? Here’s a look into Miles’s scoring outburst over the past week and other quick-hitters across the league from the rookie class:
Olivia Miles’s historic night in Los Angeles
The superstar rookie guard’s 31-point night in a 99–83 win over the Sparks was masterful. She was 10-for-11 shooting from the floor in the first half with 24 points, the most points in a first half by a rookie in WNBA history. She ended the night on 12-for-15 shooting with a new career-high 31 points, plus four assists and four rebounds in 26 minutes of play.
Olivia Miles against the Sparks 🔥
— espnW (@espnW) June 18, 2026
31 PTS (career-high)
4 REB
4 AST
12-15 FG pic.twitter.com/j1UE2zNtjU
She’s on a completely different level, picking apart defenses whether it’s with her scoring or her playmaking. The game moves incredibly slow for her, which lets her get to the rim with ease and her layup package can beat anyone from there. Per the WNBA, her big night against the Sparks was the first time a Lynx rookie scored 30 or more points in a game since Monica Wright scored 32 in 2010. Miles became the second rookie in league history to drop 30 points while shooting 80% or better from the field, joining Paige Bueckers who accomplished the feat last year.
Currently on pace to smash WNBA rookie records, she also became the first player ever with 275 or more points and 75 or more assists over the first 15 games in her career. The increased amount of games helps her as she chases rookie records with the opportunity to play four more games than Caitlin Clark—the current rookie scoring and assists record holder—did as a rookie. However, Miles is doing it at an even better pace no matter the growing schedule.
Her recent scoring outburst has brought her into the top 10 in scoring across the league, now averaging 19.0 points per game, more than Bueckers, Rhyne Howard and Marina Mabrey. Most importantly, though, Miles’s brilliance has the Lynx at the top of the WNBA with a 12–3 record, all without superstar forward Napheesa Collier.
Sydney Taylor is a bright spot for the Sky
Taylor played overseas last season following her collegiate career and joined the Sky ahead of this season, making Chicago’s opening day roster. After a 2–1 start to the season, the Sky are in the midst of a complete free fall following Rickea Jackson’s season-ending torn ACL. They’ve lost nine of their last 10 games, with the sole win coming over the last-place Sun.
Chicago nearly pulled out two nice wins over the Fever and the Liberty this past week, though, thanks to Taylor’s breakout. The UMass and Louisville product scored 54 points combined over those two contests, with a 30-point night in Chicago’s overtime loss to Indiana on Thursday. She made her first career start against the Liberty on Wednesday and had 24 points with four three-pointers, but a Sabrina Ionescu game-winner kept Chicago from walking away with an upset win.
Sydney Taylor in her first career start:
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) June 18, 2026
• 24 points
• 3 steals
• 2 assists
• 4/7 3PM
• 10/16 FG pic.twitter.com/EPYuYOBG7N
Gabriela Jaquez, the fifth pick in the draft, had a career-high 22 points against New York, too, as the Sky have started to play much better after a horrid stretch. Taylor’s breakout has come out of nowhere and has helped bring some momentum back to Chicago. She can score in bunches at all three levels, a necessity for the Sky who are dealing without Jackson. She has more 20-point games than any rookie besides Miles and after her first career start, she’s only getting started.
Toronto found another standout rookie in Laura Juškaitė
Jovana Nogić and Pauline Astier were the big breakout names in this year’s undrafted, international class, but what Laura Juškaitė is doing for the Tempo puts her in that conversation. The 28-year-old Lithuanian forward joined Toronto on a training camp deal for its first season in the league and she’s made a true impact out of the gate.
Juškaitė became a starter for Sandy Brondello in the fourth game of the season and hasn’t looked back since, averaging 9.3 minutes, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 22.5 minutes per game. She’s turned it on as of late with 19 points, four assists and three steals in a loss to the Fever on Tuesday. That came after another game with 19 points where she added six rebounds and four steals in 37 minutes as the Tempo took down the Sun in overtime June 10.
Laura Juskaite vs. Connecticut Sun (10/6/26)
— Cristian (@DouBasket28) June 11, 2026
19 PTS | 6 REB | 2 AST | 4 STL | 1 BLK pic.twitter.com/s2zVug4YHO
Juškaitė’s everywhere on the floor and provides her team with second-chance opportunities with the way she moves off the ball and flies high for rebounds that look impossible to grab. Kiki Rice, the sixth pick in the draft, has missed the past five games with an ankle sprain and brought tertiary offense with so much attention on Mabrey and Brittney Sykes. Juškaitė can do that when she needs to and could see even more shots if Sykes’s noncontact foot injury that forced her to exit the Fever game early causes her to miss significant time.
More WNBA from Sports Illustrated
Published Jun 18, 2026 | Modified Jun 18, 2026
BLAKE SILVERMANBlake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
