Olivia Miles passes Caitlin Clark for most points scored in a WNBA rookie season

The WNBA has a new name atop its record book. On Sunday, Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles officially surpassed Caitlin Clark for the league’s single-season rookie points record.

The record-breaking moment came on a free throw in the second quarter of the Lynx’s matchup against the Connecticut Sun, marking Miles’ 770th point of the season.

Clark set the record during her Rookie of the Year campaign in 2024, finishing the season with 769 points and passing Hall of Famer Seimone Augustus’ 744 points from 2006. Miles has been the clear frontrunner for 2026 Rookie of the Year all season, but this record-breaking moment appears to make her grip on that award even tighter.

Miles tied Clark’s mark in a 20-point performance against the New York Liberty on Friday; after a slow start, Miles scored nine points in the fourth quarter to come one point away from breaking the record. The Lynx went on to lose to New York, 93-81.

Though Clark’s 2024 record came when the WNBA played 40 games, the league has since expanded to 44 games in the regular season. However, Miles, who missed two games with a calf injury in July, notably reached the achievement in her 40th game of the season, matching Clark’s mark in the same number of games.

Miles, who was selected by the Lynx No. 2 overall out of TCU, has been on an absolute tear in her rookie season. “The Spectacle” hopped in as an immediate starter, averaging nearly 20 points per game; she sits in the top 10 league-wide in points and assists per game, despite being just 23.

Minnesota is still in play for the No. 1 seed over the Golden State Valkyries, but Friday night’s loss didn’t help. The Lynx will need to win their next two games, or pray for a Valkyries loss, in order to finally secure that top spot.