Olivia Miles was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick by the Minnesota Lynx after a brilliant college career that saw her shine at Notre Dame alongside Hannah Hidalgo and then get a nice bag to lead TCU her senior season.
RELATED: WNBA Used To Be The Dream: Now Olivia Miles Will Make About $930K More Staying In College
Miles, who appeared at the draft in a suit and tie with her hair in a full-blown Afro, looked rather dapper standing on that podium with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Little did we know there was a message of social activism that Miles was trying to get across by wearing her hair that way.
Olivia Miles Addresses Criticism About Her Hair and Attire During 2026 WNBA Draft
After the draft, Miles was getting criticism about her hair from users online, and she was asked about it at her introductory press conference with the Minnesota Lynx.
“I just spoke out a little activism on my Instagram about my hair and the draft as a Black woman…so I’m excited to join a franchise and culture that aligns with me and my beliefs and gives me a platform to spread whatever message I want to spread.
I can’t wait to meet the people in the communities who will actually be impacted by my presence here and this platform only allows me to emphasize that message and get it across to lots of different audiences.”
Fans Criticize Olivia Miles’ WNBA Draft Fashion Sense
People are going to say mean things online. Most of the time it’s due to ignorance about the historical context of what they are seeing or engaging in.
“I dunno what Olivia Miles had going on, but she didn’t even try. The hair, the outfit was too big and didn’t fit, it needed to be pressed. And she had plenty of money from TCU, so no excuses…,” one fan said.
“Olivia Miles would look so good with braids or dreads. I can’t take her seriously with that doofy ass fro,” another commented on X.
“I think she looks okay. She got the memo about the iron, her shoes are fine, she ditched the orange makeup…Still, her pants are a half-inch too long,” a third fan added.
The all-around fashion critiques continued.
“The ironic part is — I actually love this honey blonde she has in most of these looks, but I just hate how her hair is styled… I wish she’d do this color/tone again, but with straight or wavy longer hair,” one user commented.
“That being said, her styling team needs to be changed. It’s just odd.,” another bluntly suggested.
“Her hair way to laid ..they shoulda gave her some corn rows or something,” one user quipped.
“Omg! Why did you mention her hair! I am obsessed with it now! She has a big face. This is probably the worst possible hairstyle for a big face. She needs to cut her hair so that she has lots and lots of layering around her face,” one stylist suggested.
“Olivia Miles couldn’t get a cute bob unit, some braids, a silk press out? Or something other than damn ponytail puff Goodness”
Fans Wonder Why Wearing An Afro Is A Discussion Starter In 2026
Miles had her supporters, who couldn’t understand what the big deal was about her fro.
“I’m so happy yall are defending Olivia miles & her choosing to wear her hair natural. That’s her look & it suits her!” one fan said.
Olivia Miles Wants To Create A Space For People To Express Themselves Without Prejudice
This kind of fan reaction is what inspired Miles’ inspirational speech. Facing criticisms about the way you choose to express yourself or identify has always been a staple of WNBA culture. A culture that has a large representation of different lifestyle and sexual identifications.
People claimed to not like how she wore her Afro. Most of us are very used to Black women wearing their natural hair, but in this last generation, with the proliferation of weaves, implants, social media filters and other mind-changing tools of image destruction, natural hair has indeed become something that we see less frequently among the younger generation.
So, Miles gets props for addressing any feedback about her hair. It can lead to a larger engagement about Black women, hair and the centuries-long conversation surrounding that specific topic. It always manages to hit a nerve with people.
Miles saw that criticism as a lane to immerse herself in the tradition of Minnesota Lynx activism. A superior athlete who clearly has her quirks and a personality that is multi-layered and extends far beyond her talents on the hard wood.
She also immediately sees her potential to use her platform to dive in and create a community of individuals who wish to feel free to express themselves in the way they see fit, despite the negative comments from a closeminded society.
WNBA Is A True Women’s Sports League With All-Inclusive Culture
From a pure fashion standpoint, this is what you will get as the WNBA continues to grow in popularity and women who aren’t necessarily sports fans want to get engaged and join the social media conversation.
It appears, most people wanted her to have a more feminine and softer look. Also, when you are a celebrity the fashion police are going to come for you so you can’t always take it personally or make it an activist issue.
At the end of the day, they want to see you ball and could care less how you look doing it. Welcome to the WNBA Olivia Miles. Use that platform wisely.
