The Minnesota Lynx added two more honors to an already memorable 2026 season. Rookie guard Olivia Miles was unanimously named WNBA Rookie of the Year, while head coach Cheryl Reeve collected her record fifth Coach of the Year award. The honors recognize two very different accomplishments, with Miles making an immediate impact in her first season and Reeve continuing a remarkable run at the helm of Minnesota’s franchise. Together, the awards highlight how much the Lynx accomplished during a 33-11 regular season that produced the league’s best record.
Olivia Miles Was a Unanimous Rookie of the Year
Olivia Miles put together a rookie season that left little room for debate in the official voting. The Minnesota Lynx guard received all 74 votes from the national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, making her the unanimous 2026 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year. Miles started all 40 games she played and averaged 19.8 points, 6.0 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. She also shot 49.2% from the field, 38.8% from three-point range and 87.0% at the free-throw line.
Miles Rewrote the Rookie Scoring Record
The numbers behind Miles’ award were historic, particularly when it came to scoring. She finished the season with 790 points, breaking the WNBA rookie record of 769 set by Caitlin Clark in 2024. Miles also established a rookie record with 22 games of at least 20 points, surpassing Seimone Augustus’ previous mark of 20. Her production was not limited to scoring either, as she led all rookies in total points, points per game, total assists, assists per game, field goals made, defensive rebounds and efficiency.
Cheryl Reeve Added a Fifth Coach of the Year Award
Cheryl Reeve’s latest honor added another major milestone to her long career with Minnesota. The Lynx head coach was named the 2026 WNBA Coach of the Year, giving her five such awards. Her previous victories came in 2011, 2016, 2020 and 2024. The fifth award extends Reeve’s own league record and came during her 17th season as Minnesota’s head coach.
Reeve Guided Minnesota to the League’s Best Record
The Coach of the Year award came after Minnesota finished the regular season with a 33-11 record, the best mark in the WNBA, earning the Lynx the No. 1 playoff seed. The team recovered from a 2-2 start by winning 20 of its next 24 games and entered the All-Star break at 22-6. Minnesota then won nine of its first 10 games after the break. The Lynx also recorded 18 road victories, the most in WNBA history, and put together a 10-game winning streak that was the franchise’s longest since 2016.
The Two Awards Came With Different Milestones
The Lynx’s two honors reflect accomplishments at very different stages of a basketball career. Miles was being recognized after her first WNBA season, while Reeve earned her fifth Coach of the Year award after 17 seasons leading Minnesota. Miles entered the league as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft and quickly became a major part of the Lynx lineup. Reeve, meanwhile, reached another career milestone during the season by becoming the WNBA’s all-time leader in regular-season coaching victories, earning her 380th win on July 8.
Miles Became the Sixth Lynx Rookie to Win the Award
Miles also joined a select group in Minnesota franchise history. She became the sixth Lynx player to win WNBA Rookie of the Year, following Betty Lennox in 2000, Seimone Augustus in 2006, Maya Moore in 2011, Napheesa Collier in 2019 and Crystal Dangerfield in 2020. Miles is the first Lynx player to receive the honor since Dangerfield. Her award also continues a long franchise history of Minnesota rookies making an immediate impact in the league.
Miles’ Rookie Season Included Several Other Records
The Rookie of the Year award was only one part of an unusually productive debut season for Miles. She swept all four WNBA Rookie of the Month awards and was the only rookie selected for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game, where she was chosen as a starter. She also became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 150 assists, doing so in 26 games. Earlier in the season, she hit eight three-pointers against Golden State on June 4, setting a WNBA single-game rookie record.
