When the 2026 WNBA Draft took place in April, most of the spotlight centered on Azzi Fudd not Olivia Miles.

The sharpshooting guard was selected first overall by the Dallas Wings and entered the league carrying enormous expectations.

Meanwhile, Olivia Miles went second overall to the Minnesota Lynx.

She arrived with elite playmaking credentials and a reputation as one of the smartest guards in college basketball, but there were still questions about her scoring consistency and outside shooting.

A few weeks into her rookie season, many of those doubts are disappearing quickly.

Miles has become one of the breakout stars of the 2026 WNBA season, helping lead Minnesota to one of the league’s best records while emerging as the clear frontrunner in the Rookie of the Year race.

Not the No. 1 pick — but arguably the biggest early success story

The Wings selected Fudd first overall because of her elite scoring ability and polished perimeter game.

But early returns suggest Minnesota may have landed one of the most impactful players in the draft.

Miles has produced impressive all-around numbers to begin her professional career, averaging around:

• 17 points per game
• 5 rebounds per game
• 6 assists per game

More importantly, she has transformed Minnesota’s offense with her pace, vision and decision-making.

The Lynx entered the season facing uncertainty after roster changes and injury concerns, yet they have surged near the top of the standings with Miles running the show.

Cheryl Reeve is already trusting her instincts

One of the strongest endorsements of Miles’ impact has come from Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve.

Speaking recently about coaching the rookie point guard, Reeve explained that she often allows Miles to trust her instincts rather than overloading her with instructions.

“I don’t coach… a lot of times she’ll say, ‘What do you want me to look for?’ and I say, ‘Whatever your instincts tell you.’”

Reeve added that she tries to stay out of Miles’ way because of how naturally she sees passing angles and reads defenses.

That level of trust is rare for a first-year guard and highlights how quickly Miles has earned respect inside one of the WNBA’s most successful organizations.

The performance that changed the conversation

Miles’ breakout reached another level after her explosive display against the Golden State Valkyries.

The rookie guard erupted for 28 points while knocking down eight three-pointers, setting a new WNBA rookie record for most threes made in a single game.

The previous mark had been shared by several players, including Caitlin Clark.

The performance stunned many observers because outside shooting had been viewed as one of the biggest question marks in Miles’ game during the draft process.

Instead, she answered critics emphatically.

“The most polished player in the class”

Around the basketball world, praise for Miles continues to grow rapidly.

One popular social media assessment described her as:

“The most polished player in the 2026 WNBA draft class.”

Other fans have compared her composure and fundamentals to how Tim Duncan entered the NBA in the late 1990s — calm, efficient and immediately impactful.

Social media has also been flooded with comparisons involving Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and other young stars as fans debate where Miles’ rookie season ranks among recent WNBA arrivals.

Why Olivia Miles is so difficult to defend

Miles is not dominating because of elite athleticism alone.

Her greatest strengths are:

• Basketball IQ
• Tempo control
• Court vision
• Passing creativity
• Decision-making under pressure

Analysts have already drawn stylistic comparisons to legendary WNBA guards such as:

Veterans on the Lynx roster have benefited enormously from her arrival.

Players like:

• Kayla McBride
• Courtney Williams
• Natasha Howard

have all enjoyed cleaner looks and easier offensive opportunities thanks to Miles’ ability to manipulate defenses and control the rhythm of games.

Rookie of the Year race already leaning her way?

It may still be early in the season, but Miles has quickly established herself as the leading Rookie of the Year candidate.

Her combination of:

• Individual production
• Efficiency
• Leadership
• Team success

has separated her from much of the rookie class.

The bigger surprise may be how quickly she already looks comfortable controlling games against seasoned professionals.

At a time when the WNBA is experiencing unprecedented growth and attention, Olivia Miles suddenly looks like one of the faces of the league’s next generation.

And the most remarkable part?

She wasn’t even the first player selected in the draft.

England’s Charley Hull suffered more major heartbreak as world number one Nelly Korda claimed her first US Women’s Open title.

Hull moved to the top of the leaderboard early in the final round at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, but finished one shot behind Korda on seven under par – her fifth runner-up spot in major championships.

Mexico’s Gaby Lopez finished alongside Hull in second, with South Korea duo In Gee Chun and Sei Young Kim a shot further back.

Hull, who was seven strokes off the pace at halfway, started the day three shots off the lead but got off to a lightning start with an eagle three at the first hole.

She added two more birdies before dropping a shot at the ninth, with back-to-back birdies to start the back nine putting her back in pole position.

Dropped shots on the 12th and 14th derailed her momentum but a birdie at the 17th after getting up and down from a greenside bunker moved her back into a share of the lead.

Unable to hole her chip from behind the 18th green for a closing gain, Hull holed the return putt to set the clubhouse pace and equalled the lowest round of the day with a 67.

Behind her in the closing group, Korda had nine straight pars before she birdied the par-five 17th to edge one stroke ahead.

Korda had a scare as her short par putt to clinch the title rolled around the lip of the hole before dropping to secure her fourth major title with a closing 69.

It followed her success in the Chevron Championship in April, meaning she holds the first two major crowns of the season.

Two Virginia residents are trying to put UFC Freedom 250 in a rear-naked choke before fight night.

A federal lawsuit filed against the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior seeks an emergency injunction to stop the UFC event scheduled for the White House South Lawn.

According to the lawsuit, organizers ignored federal permitting rules, skipped environmental reviews and triggered conflict-of-interest concerns.

Because apparently even a UFC octagon on the White House lawn has to clear environmental hurdles.

UFC SAYS IT WON’T PROFIT FROM WHITE HOUSE EVENT THAT COULD COST ‘UPWARDS OF $60M’

President Donald Trump met with UFC fighters Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje and Ciryl Gane in the Oval Office of the White House on May 6, 2026, to discuss the UFC Freedom 250 match scheduled for June 14 outside the White House. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Construction continues on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 26, 2026, ahead of a UFC match hosted by President Donald Trump to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States.

The event is being promoted as part of America’s 250th birthday celebration and, yes, the plan is to stage a UFC card on the White House lawn. According to the lawsuit, the problems start with hosting the fights in front of the executive mansion.

The plaintiffs argue the White House South Lawn and nearby federal property are subject to strict rules that generally prohibit commercial structures and private sporting events without environmental review and congressional approval.

DANA WHITE DISMISSES NOTION WHITE HOUSE UFC EVENT WILL BE ‘TOO POLITICAL’: ‘IT’S A HISTORY-MAKING EVENT’

Organizers have reportedly relied on a special exemption tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

The lawsuit argues UFC Freedom 250 is really a private, for-profit sporting event involving the UFC, broadcasters, sponsors and advertisers rather than a legitimate government-run celebration.

The UFC Freedom 250 championship belt is displayed inside the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 6, 2026. (Scott Taetsch/Zuffa LLC)

The complaint alleges the event could financially benefit President Trump and several of his associates, including UFC CEO Dana White and Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison.

DANA WHITE SAYS ‘I DON’T GIVE A S—‘ IF TRUMP FRIENDSHIP COSTS HIM BUSINESS, 250TH EVENT WAS TRUMP’S IDEA

It also points to Trump’s reported purchase of up to $50,000 worth of stock in TKO Group Holdings, the publicly traded parent company of the UFC.

Court filings argue that the event has less to do with commemorating American independence and more with promoting the UFC brand and celebrating Trump’s 80th birthday.

The White House has already pushed back on the lawsuit, calling it an attempt to derail a properly permitted celebration.

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The UFC has not publicly commented.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela 

A local high school softball team has won its second straight state championship.

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The Kenton Ridge Cougars defeated Licking Valley High School, 7-6, at Firestone Stadium in Akron on Sunday.

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The Lady Cougars fell behind 6-0 but scored seven straight runs to win the Division IV Softball championship game.

TRENDING STORIES:

Kenton Ridge scored four runs in the third inning and added a run in the fourth to cut the deficit to 6-5.

J.J. Davis hit a two-run single with one out in the bottom of the sixth to give the Lady Cougars a 7-6 advantage.

Ivee Rastatter got the final three outs as she pitched a complete game to seal the win.

Kenton Ridge High School finishes the season unbeaten at 32-0 for the second straight year.

The Lady Cougars have won 64 straight games.

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When the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across the United States, Canada and Mexico, no club will be represented more than Manchester City.

The Premier League giants will have 19 players participating in the tournament, the highest total of any club in world football and a new World Cup record for a single club. Bayern Munich follow closely with 18 representatives, while Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal each have 16 players selected by their respective nations.

The numbers underline just how concentrated elite football talent has become at a handful of powerhouse clubs.

Top clubs represented at World Cup 2026

1. Manchester City – 19 players
2. Bayern Munich – 18 players
3. PSG – 16 players
4. Arsenal – 16 players
5. Barcelona – 15 players
6. Manchester United – 12 players
7. Crystal Palace – 12 players
8. Atletico Madrid – 12 players
9. Al-Hilal – 12 players
10. Liverpool – 11 players

The Premier League remains the best-represented league overall, but the list also highlights the growing influence of clubs from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Eastern Europe.

Manchester City’s World Cup stars

City’s 19-player contingent spans multiple continents and includes some of the biggest names heading to North America.

Among those expected to feature are:

• Erling Haaland (Norway)
• Bernardo Silva (Portugal)
• Ruben Dias (Portugal)
• Matheus Nunes (Portugal)
• Omar Marmoush (Egypt)
• Jeremy Doku (Belgium)
• Rayan Cherki (France)
• Josko Gvardiol (Croatia)
• Mateo Kovacic (Croatia)
• John Stones (England)
• James Trafford (England)
• Marc Guehi (England)
• Nico O’Reilly (England)

City players will represent 12 different nations, highlighting the global nature of the club’s recruitment strategy.

Bayern, PSG and Arsenal close behind

Bayern Munich’s squad includes a heavy German contingent led by Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Manuel Neuer and Aleksandar Pavlovic, alongside stars such as Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano.

PSG’s representation reflects their Champions League-winning squad, with players spread across France, Portugal, Morocco and several other national teams.

Arsenal’s 16-player contribution is equally impressive, with Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, William Saliba and David Raya among the headline names heading to the tournament.

The surprise clubs on the list

Not every club near the top is a traditional giant.

Crystal Palace matching Manchester United with 12 World Cup players is one of the most remarkable stories. The FA Cup winners have seen several members of Oliver Glasner’s squad rewarded for outstanding seasons.

Saudi giants Al-Hilal also boast 12 representatives, largely thanks to the backbone of the Saudi Arabia national team, while Turkish champions Galatasaray and Czech powerhouse Slavia Prague both feature prominently in the rankings.

Big names missing the World Cup

While the tournament will showcase many of football’s biggest stars, several notable players will be watching from home.

Manchester City’s Phil Foden is among the most surprising omissions after missing out on England’s final squad. Scotland’s Billy Gilmour was ruled out through injury, while several nations also left experienced internationals out for tactical reasons.

What the numbers really tell us

Beyond the statistics, the rankings offer a fascinating insight into modern football.

The clubs sending the most players to the World Cup are largely the same clubs competing for domestic titles, Champions League trophies and major honours every season.

Success at club level increasingly depends on assembling squads filled with international-calibre talent. The 2026 World Cup call-up list is perhaps the clearest evidence yet.

And with Manchester City leading the way with a record 19 players, the tournament will once again provide a showcase of just how much elite football talent passes through the Etihad Stadium.

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings’ Justin Brownlee during Game 3 vs TNT Tropang 5G in the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals. –PBA IMAGES

Needing to step up big in a critical game in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, Justin Brownlee delivered like he always does.

Brownlee’s 41 points on Sunday night drove the Gin Kings to a 116-102 win that put them 2-1 up over defending champion TNT in the best-of-seven series before a season record 18,000 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

“We just want to come out here with a lot of energy and show these fans that we got that ‘NSD’ spirit,” Brownlee said after a typical title game performance as Ginebra moved two wins shy of capturing a first title since the 2022-23 edition of the same conference.

But his big-time showing that came after knocking down 16 of 21 shots on top of seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals was one of two great efforts that had the crowd-darlings moving a nose ahead in the series.

Ginebra finally saw Stephen Holt get going on offense with 23 points spiked by five triples and one four-pointer.

Holt made 18 of those points in the first-half when Ginebra relied on its hot shooting that left TNT playing catch up the rest of the way. During that stretch, Holt hit all of his four three-point attempts.

“It’s a long series, and the mission is the championship,” Holt said. “Whether it’s four good games or four bad games, it doesn’t matter as long as we get those four wins.

“I was happy that I was able to step up for my team and set the tone in the first quarter and build off. Me personally and as a group, we definitely feel confident.”

It was a huge turnaround for the two-way guard, who could only muster a total of one point during the first two games of the series.

His exploits became the launch pad for Brownlee and Ginebra in making up for a miserable Game 2 defeat when it trailed by 22 points before going on a failed comeback in the dying minutes.

“He set the tone for us, offensively,” Brownlee said of Holt. “But he’s consistently been one of the guys defending the best player on the other team. And like he said, we didn’t notice he was struggling.”

Coach Tim Cone, who, while acknowledging the criticisms hurled at Holt online, felt that it wasn’t the case as he saw it.

“I know there’s a lot of internet noise about him not playing well, but he’s been playing great,” Cone said in defense of Holt. “I think if you’re just looking at Stephen strictly as a scorer, you’re not looking at the whole game of basketball.

“He’s a lot more than just being a scorer and he impacts winning in so many things that he does, even when he was not scoring a lot,” Cone went on. “He looks at the game and says ‘this is what I need to contribute.’ Sometimes it’ll be scoring, sometimes it’ll be being a ball-mover, sometimes it’ll be spreading it out.

“He’ll do what it takes to impact winning, whether it’ll be rebounding, defending (RR) Pogoy or (Calvin) Oftana every night. So he’s contributing to winning.” INQ

After sharing twelve rounds with Devin Haney, Regis Prograis has weighed in on how his former rival may fare against Shakur Stevenson.

With both Stevenson and Haney recently linked to a move to Zuffa Boxing, plus an ongoing back-and-forth, a fight between the two American pound-for-pound operators seems to be edging closer, even despite the weight difference between them.

Stevenson has only fought once at super-lightweight – a standout win against Teofimo Lopez – and could likely make lightweight again. Haney, on the other hand, is now at welterweight, and his days of making anything beneath the 147 limit may be over.

Speaking to Mill City Boxing, Prograis – who Haney knocked down and beat on the cards in 2023 – said that, despite feeling his former foe is ‘too big’ for the fight, he still edges towards a Stevenson win.

“I don’t think they’ll fight because Haney’s too big. I’m not saying Shakur’s a little guy, but Shakur is small compared to Devin.

“They really have similar styles, Devin’s just a bigger version. Shakur’s left-handed, I think a little more skilled for me. But if they fought, I would still say Shakur, just because of the left-handed style. It’ll be close. Nobody’s gonna knock the other out, it would just be a boxing match. I don’t see nobody getting hurt. I don’t think it’d be that exciting. I go for Shakur, but if Devin wins or draws, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Stevenson has proposed either a catchweight of 144lbs or 147lbs with a rehydration clause, but Haney is intent on not giving the smaller man any sort of advantage, and will seemingly only take the fight if it is at welterweight with no stipulation. That condition may be the sticking point to an all-American super-fight.