‘Not a Great Playoff Debut,’ ‘Most Overhyped Player’ – WNBA World Rips Olivia Miles as Lynx Drop Game 1 vs. Liberty

Avi Shravan Mon, September 28, 2026 at 3:07 AM UTC

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Sep 27, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles (5) looks on against the New York Liberty in the first half during game one of the first round for the 2026 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Olivia Miles has become one of the biggest names in the WNBA following her exceptional rookie season with the Lynx. Fans were excited to see her return to the court and make her playoff debut after she missed the Lynx’s final two games of the regular season with a left calf issue.

However, her Game 1 performance was not on par with the levels the 23-year-old had shown the entire season.

Fans Slam Olivia Miles After the Lynx’s Loss to the Liberty

Miles tried her best to keep the Lynx afloat, but there was only so much she could do. Her shots betrayed her, and she looked rusty from being away from the court.

Miles finished with 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist on 3-for-12 shooting from the field and 1-for-4 from deep. The Liberty walked away with a 91-75 win powered by Breanna Stewart’s 34-point effort, securing an early lead in the series.

Social media was quick to flame Miles for her performance, with SiriusXM host Robin Lundberg among the first to express his views. “Not a great playoff debut for Olivia Miles,” he wrote.

One fan questioned the hype around the Lynx rookie’s name. “Olivia Miles is the most overhyped player I’ve ever seen.”

Kyle Ingram shared a clip of Miles missing a shot and shared his advice. “Olivia Miles needs to just play her game, she’s in her head too much… I think she’ll take over in game 2,” he wrote.

A sports page questioned the media’s narrative around the Lynx rookie. “Olivia Miles isn’t as good as media is pushing her to be,” they posted.

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One user shared Miles’ stat line from the game and gave her a nickname.

“Olivia Miles today, 4 turnovers, 4 fouls, 3/12 made shots (25% shooting 🔥), 1 assist. Generational CHOKER,” they bluntly wrote.

Meanwhile, one user compared the Lynx rookie to the Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

“Olivia Miles is seeing the defense Caitlin Clark sees every game. Full court pressure, a help defender cheating her way and she’s playing horrible 😭😭😭😭😭.”

Miles is widely expected to win the 2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year award. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft has proved her worth as a future franchise player, with impressive regular-season production, averaging 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists on 49.2% shooting.

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Miles helped lead the Lynx to a first-place finish in the standings with a 33-11 record in the absence of Napheesa Collier, who was out for more than the first half of the season, recovering from her ankle surgeries.

Now, she needs to get her rhythm back and play the same basketball in the playoffs, with Game 2 set to tip off on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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Source: “AOL Sports”