Olivia Miles was on the wrong end of history after the Minnesota Lynx became the first No. 1 seed to get eliminated by the No. 8 seed in the playoffs.
The Lynx bowed to the Liberty, 87-71, in Game 2 of their best-of-three first-round series at Barclays Center on Tuesday.
Miles, the newly minted Rookie of the Year, only had five points on 1-of-8 shooting. She also had two rebounds, one assist, one block, and one turnover. She only played 17 minutes.
She struggled in her first postseason, averaging just 8.0 points on 4-of-20 shooting, 1.0 assist, and 2.5 turnovers, which were way below her usual numbers.
Olivia Miles in her first-ever playoff appearance:
Game 1:
11 PTS | 8 REB | 3-of-12 FG | 4 TOVsGame 2:
5 PTS | 2 REB | 1 AST | 1-of-8 FGMiles was named the UNANIMOUS Rookie of the Year 🏆 pic.twitter.com/BWdlhliBtD
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 30, 2026
The prolific guard was outplayed by Sabrina Ionescu in their marquee matchup.
Article Continues BelowThe 23-year-old Miles looked lost against the Liberty, who capitalized on their experience, physicality, and size. She was left rueing her forgettable performance, as her electrifying campaign fizzled to a disappointing end.
She helped the Lynx to a 34-10 record, the most wins in franchise history. She held down the fort, along with Natasha Howard, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams, during the long absence of Napheesa Collier, who was recovering from ankle surgery before returning in July.
Miles, the No. 2 pick out of TCU, averaged 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 steals in the regular season. She was named to the All-Star Game.
The loss to the Liberty will sting for a while, but it should only motivate Miles to improve her game, make her body stronger, and come back with a vengeance in her sophomore year.
The Lynx have not won the championship since 2017.

