Olivia Miles breaks Caitlin Clark’s WNBA rookie scoring record in Lynx 101-89 win

Olivia Miles broke Caitlin Clark’s WNBA rookie scoring record on Sunday in the Minnesota Lynx’s 101-89 victory over the Connecticut Sun, finishing the game with 21 points. She had been tied with Clark on 769 points entering the contest and moved ahead when she made a free throw in the second quarter.

Miles entered the game averaging 19.7 points, 6.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds. Her scoring and playmaking have been cited as a major factor in Minnesota holding the best record in the WNBA. Miles was named an All-Star in her first WNBA season. She was selected second in the draft after playing college basketball at Notre Dame and TCU.

In the win over the Sun, Miles was 7 of 10 from the field and made all six of her free-throw attempts. She began the game scoreless in the first quarter. The basket that put her past Clark was a free throw 29 seconds into the second quarter.

Earlier in the season, on 4 June, Miles made eight three-pointers in a victory over Golden State to set the WNBA rookie single-game record for threes, one more than Clark’s best. She also became the fastest rookie to reach 350 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists, doing so in 21 games—one game quicker than Clark and former Charlotte Sting guard Andrea Stinson.

After the win, Miles credited her teammates and coach for the achievement. “It’s special, but it means we’re more so working well as a team. I have great teammates around me, great vets who allow me to be me out there,” Miles said. “It wouldn’t be possible without one, a coach that believes in you and then two, having teammates that have my back. So it’s really special to obviously be able to accomplish that with such a great team and on a win as well.”

Both Miles and Clark reached their respective rookie scoring milestones in 40 games. Miles’s record-setting free throw came as part of Minnesota’s 101-89 victory over the Connecticut Sun.