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Olivia Miles is off to an outstanding start to her WNBA career, proving to be a franchise cornerstone for the Minnesota Lynx.
The No.
2 overall pick out of TCU is averaging 19.3 points, 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds in her rookie season, making her the clear-cut favorite for Rookie of the Year.
However, her performance has been so impressive that it has also put her in discussion for the MVP award.
If Miles were to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP this season, it would put her in rare company in American sports.
Only six players have ever done that across the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, which shows how rare it truly is.
In fact, the NHL specifically has never had a player do both, even though Wayne Gretzky technically did win the Hart Trophy in his first NHL season.
There have been some other close calls, like Aaron Judge finishing second for MVP in his stellar 2017 rookie season.
With that in mind, here's a look at the elite company Miles could join by winning both WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year.
MORE: Full 2026 NBA All-Star rosters Olivia Miles stats - Games: 26 - PPG: 19.3 - RPG: 4.7 - APG: 5.9 - SPG: 1.3 - FG%: 49.4% - 3P%: 35.8% - FT%: 87.3% Miles has filled up the statsheet in her rookie season, as she has been impactful as a scorer, distributor and defender.
Her all-around game is a big reason why she made her first All-Star game and is the favorite to win WNBA Rookie of the Year.
As it stands, Miles' 19.3 points per game would be sixth-best among rookies in WNBA history, as she is averaging about five-points more than the next-best rookie this year.
Her 5.9 assists is in a similar boat, currently ranked sixth all-time among rookies and 2.3 assists better than the second-best rookie in 2026, while her 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals are both in the top five among rookies this year.
Miles could be in line to break the WNBA records for both points and assists in a rookie season if she keeps up this pace.
While Miles should win Rookie of the Year easily, she will have to fight to get MVP.
A'Ja Wilson, the four-time MVP who has won the award in three of the last four seasons, is putting up another strong campaign with 26.1 points and 9.5 rebounds, making her the favorite once again.
Players to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP | Player | Year | League | Team | Position | | Jim Brown | 1957 | NFL | Cleveland Browns | Running back | | Wilt Chamberlain | 1959-60 | NBA | Philadelphia Warriors | Center | | Wes Unseld | 1968-69 | NBA | Baltimore Bullets | Forward | | Fred Lynn | 1975 | MLB | Boston Red Sox | Outfielder | | Ichiro Suzuki | 2001 | MLB | Seattle Mariners | Outfielder | | Candace Parker | 2008 | WNBA | Los Angeles Sparks | Forward | Jim Brown Brown's rookie season was actually the worst of his career statistically, but it was still enough to get both MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1957 for the Cleveland Browns.
Brown totaled a league-leading 942 rushing yards and nine touchdowns as he secured his first of three MVP awards.
Brown went on to lead the league in rushing eight times in his nine-year career, so this was just a glimpse of what was to come.
On this date in 1957, Jim Brown rushed for 237 yards and 4 TDs against the Rams.
Fantasy leagues in 1957 would have been pretty boring unless you were the guy who had Jim Brown.
pic.twitter.com/4ZDIWGvdLp Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) November 25, 2019 Wilt Chamberlain Prior to joining the NBA, Chamberlain spent three years at Kansas, along with stints for the Pittsburgh Raiders as a teenager, along with the Quakertown Fays and the Harlem Globetrotters.
Therefore, he was already a seasoned player when he won NBA MVP and Rookie of the Year as a 23-year-old.
Chamberlain's numbers jumped off the page, as he averaged 37.6 points and 27.0 rebounds in 46.4 minutes per game.
All three of those metrics led the league, along with his field goals per game, field goal attempts per game and free throw attempts per game.
This was the first of four times Chamberlain won MVP, but the next three didn't come until six years later, when he won three straight.
Wes Unseld Unseld was the second overall pick in the 1968 draft and instantly made an impact in the 1968-69 season for the Baltimore Bullets.
Unseld averaged 13.8 points and 18.2 rebounds per game across 82 games, leading the Bullets to a huge turnaround as Baltimore won its division.
Basketball legend and Louisville native, Wes Unseld L1C4!! (@LORCARDS) May 7, 2026 -NBA ROTY -NBA MVP -NBA Champion -NBA Finals MVP -NBA leading rebounder (1975) -#31 retired by Louisville Cardinals -#41 retired by Washington Wizards -1 of 2 players in NBA history to win ROTY & MVP in the same season pic.twitter.com/JdL58ofpZ3 Unseld had strong seasons after but never finished top five in MVP voting again following this year.
A big reason why was likely because of the Bullets' success during Unseld's rookie season, which was a huge piece of his MVP campaign.
Fred Lynn Lynn played 15 games in the 1974 season, but retained rookie eligibility in 1975 when he won AL MVP and Rookie of the Year.
Lynn led the league in runs, doubles and OPS.
all while accumulating 7.4 bWar in what was one of the best seasons of his career.
June 18, 1975: Rookie Fred Lynn has a monster game (3 HRs, a triple...he went 5 for 6 with 10 RBIs).
pic.twitter.com/kyk9vrIeZL Stirrups Now! (@uniformcritic) May 2, 2026 Lynn did make nine straight All-Star games beginning in 1975, but this was the only season in which he finished top-three in MVP voting.
Lynn also led the Red Sox to the World Series that season, where they lost to the Cincinnati Reds in seven game.
Ichiro Suzuki While Ichiro took Major League Baseball by storm in the 2001 season, he did so after a successful career in Japan.
Ichiro was 27 years-old when he made the move to the United States and instantly led the American League in hits, stolen bases and batting average.
Ichiro's MVP and Rookie of the Year honors were buoyed by the Seattle Mariners winning an MLB-record 116 games, along with Ichiro being one of the first Japanese players to join Major League Baseball.
It was ultimately the start of a long career that helped pave the way for more Japanese stars in America.
OTD in 2001, Ichiro became the second player to win ROY and MVP in the same year.
pic.twitter.com/d0deTBH2j9 MLB (@MLB) November 20, 2019 Candace Parker The only time a WNBA player has won MVP and Rookie of the Year together was Candace Parker, who won both awards for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008.
Parker was a star player at Tennessee and the No.
1 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft, and she proved why during her rookie season.
2008 Candace Parker: Heather Rose (@heatherrosegoes) April 8, 2023 MVP ROY NPOY NCAA Champ Olympic Gold Medal W rebounding leader And she did all this while playing through a dislocated left shoulder.pic.twitter.com/pB6svIIvbU Parker averaged 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in 33 games that season, with the Sparks winning 20 games and making the playoffs.
Parker would go on to win another MVP in 2013 and ended up as one of the best players in WNBA history.