In her first season at the WNBA, Olivia Miles is dominating. Coming into the Minnesota Lynx, expectations were high after she was picked No.2 on draft night. Miles has doubled down on her production after the pro career tipoff, helping her to achieve a record that Caitlin Clark and Sue Bird have touched after three games.
After Miles’ performance against the Wings on Thursday, her WNBA stats stand at 49 points and 21 assists. It makes her only the fifth player in the history of the league to average over 15 points and 5 assists in the first three games of her pro career.
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Nikki McCray, Candace Parker, Bird, and Clark (51 points and 17 points) are the other four players who have touched that feat before her. Basketball insider Alexa Philippou confirmed Miles’ milestone via an X post after the Wings game.
Subsequently, after her 6 assists in the Wings game, Olivia Miles reached yet another record. Her 21-assist tally places her fourth on the list for having the most assists for a player in her first three games of a rookie season. It adds a prominent silver lining to Miles’ brief yet impactful career.
This record also comes just a few days after she set a WNBA debut record. In the opening game against the Atlanta Dream, Miles recorded 21 points and 8 assists. It made her the fifth player to achieve over 20 points and 5 assists in her first WNBA game.
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Scoring and dishing out assists have always been a strong suit for Miles. We’ve seen her do that in her Notre Dame and TCU days. In fact, her collegiate career averages sit at over 15 points and 5 assists. The only issue Miles was required to address was physicality and the league’s pace.
As the numbers suggest, Miles has done it without missing a beat. After all, facing the stacked perimeter of the Wings, featuring Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd, was never going to be easy for Miles.
But Miles executed her shots perfectly and added a crucial 15 points in a tightrope game. Her numbers helped veterans on the team, like Natasha Howard and Courtney Williams, who, in turn, led the game with 26 and 21 points, respectively.
Fudd, who was in the same college class as Miles, highlighted the Minnesota guard’s skill set quite perfectly in the post-game presser. “I mean, Olivia is super talented,” Fudd said. “To compete against her tonight was great. She’s tough to guard. So that definitely was a challenge. And I look forward to the next time we play them.”
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The flashes of her talent that Miles has shown in the first three games reflect that her scoring will just get better from here. With each passing game, Miles will gain valuable experience, helping her operate at her full tempo. For now, the Lynx guard can spare a moment and introspect on her milestones as she enjoys the head coach’s admiration.
Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve Heaps Praise on Olivia Miles’ Decision-Making Against Dallas
With so many veterans on the team, Miles won’t be required to lead the team outright. The Lynx already have players like Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams. But her individual decision-making on the court and playmaking capabilities for the team are immensely important for the Minnesota Lynx. It also prompted her head coach to double down on it after the Wings game.
“When the game was in the balance, the rookie took over,” Reeve said. “Miles was incredible, making her reads and doing simple things for her gave us momentum. It really gave us that jolt. They were all gassed.”
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“I think that’s something that when we talked to her about some things that we wanted her to focus on, taking care of the basketball was one of them,” Reeve added. “I think she’s sort of recognizing the impact that you make, a decision of maybe that you’re being too loose with it. She’s been more mindful, and she’s being more intentional.”
Olivia Miles’ performances have given the Minnesota Lynx an entirely new dynamic on offense. The team won’t have to rely on Collier to carry the offense on the frontcourt or Williams from the perimeter. Instead, they have Miles, who can break down defenses with ease instead of trying to power through them.
Even without Collier, the Lynx have won two crucial games in the season against the Phoenix Mercury and the Dallas Wings. Miles and the Minnesota Lynx will now move back home after a two-game away stretch. They will have to prepare for their upcoming clash against the Chicago Sky on May 17. With just a few days left in the tank, drop your predictions quickly in the comments.
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