The NBA's official account joined the wave of congratulations on Sunday after Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles etched her name into the WNBA record books.

“Congrats to Olivia Miles for setting the all-time record for most points scored by a rookie in WNBA history.”

With a free throw early in the second quarter against the Connecticut Sun, Miles surpassed Caitlin Clark for the most points scored by a rookie in league history. She entered the game tied with Clark at 769 points and went scoreless in the first quarter before breaking through at the free-throw line to claim sole possession of the mark. 

She finished with 21 points and six assists on 7-of-10 shooting in Minnesota's 101-89 win, pushing her season total to 790 points with two games still left to play.

The NBA's public recognition, as per the X post, carried extra significance. While the men's and women's leagues operate under the same corporate umbrella, direct crossover acknowledgment of individual milestones doesn't happen often, making the league's post about Miles stand out.

Clark had established the previous mark during her 2024 Rookie of the Year season, scoring 769 points across 40 games while averaging 19.2 per contest. Miles matched that total in the same number of games and now has extra opportunities to extend the record over a 44-game season. 

Miles is averaging 19.7 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three. She's already claimed other Clark-held rookie records too, including the single-game mark for three-pointers by a first-year player with eight, along with the fastest path to 350 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists.

There are still some games left on the Lynx’s schedule. 

What's Left On The Schedule

Olivia Miles still has two regular-season games remaining, both against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, as per the Lynx website, setting up a direct comparison between the player who set the rookie scoring record and the one who just broke it.

The first matchup comes on September 22, when Minnesota visits Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, followed two days later by the regular-season finale on Thursday, September 24, when the Fever travel to Target Center in Minneapolis.

For Miles and the Lynx, the games offer a chance to lock up the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Minnesota sits at 32-10 and needs just one more win, or a Golden State loss, to secure the top spot. For Clark and Indiana, the focus is on climbing into the top four and earning first-round home-court advantage, with a strong showing against the league's best team offering real momentum heading into the postseason.

Do you think Miles' rookie season will end up being remembered as the greatest in WNBA history?

Written by

Zaid Quraishi