Olivia Miles added another rookie mark to Minnesota’s rolling season Sunday, passing Caitlin Clark for the most points by a first-year player in a WNBA campaign as the Lynx handled the Connecticut Sun 101-89 in Uncasville.
Miles finished with 21 points, pushing beyond the 769-point total she shared with Clark entering the afternoon. The Minnesota guard reached the record at the free-throw line 29 seconds into the second quarter, then closed an efficient 7-for-10 shooting night with all six of her foul shots converted.
Record arrives in a Lynx win
- Miles opened quietly, failing to score during the first quarter against Connecticut.
- With 9:31 left in the second period, she made the free throw that moved her past Clark’s rookie single-season scoring total.
- She went on to score 21 points as Minnesota secured a 101-89 road victory over the Sun.
- Miles and Clark each reached their respective rookie scoring milestones in their 40th game.
The All-Star guard entered the game averaging 19.7 points, 6.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds, production that has helped Minnesota carry the WNBA’s best record. Selected No. 2 overall after her college stops at Notre Dame and TCU, Miles has been a central piece of the Lynx’s top-seeded pace from the opening months.
“It’s special, but it shows how well we’re functioning as a team,” Miles said. “I have great teammates and veteran players who let me play my game. You need a coach who believes in you, and teammates who support you. To do it with this group and get the win makes it especially meaningful.”
More rookie records on Miles’ ledger
The season scoring record is not the first Caitlin Clark rookie standard Miles has surpassed.
- On June 4, Miles drilled eight 3-pointers in a victory over Golden State, setting the WNBA rookie record for made threes in one game. Clark’s high had been seven.
- Miles also became the quickest rookie to compile 350 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists, getting there in 21 games.
- That total beat Clark and former Charlotte Sting guard Andrea Stinson by one game.
With the regular season record now in hand, Miles and the Lynx will keep their focus on the larger work: protecting the league’s best record and carrying that form into the postseason.
