Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles now holds the WNBA record for the most points scored by a rookie in a single season, passing the record Caitlin Clark established with the Indiana Fever in 2024.
Miles broke Clark’s mark during Minnesota’s 101-89 victory over the Connecticut Sun on September 20, 2026. She entered the game tied with Clark at 769 points and finished with 21 points, raising her season total to 790 points.
The record is not yet final. Minnesota still has two regular-season games remaining, giving Miles an opportunity to push the rookie scoring mark even higher.
What Is The WNBA Rookie Scoring Record?
As of September 21, 2026, the WNBA rookie single-season scoring record is 790 points by Olivia Miles.
Miles set the record in her 40th game of the season, scoring 21 points against Connecticut. She shot 7-for-10 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line while also recording six assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Her performance pushed her past Caitlin Clark’s previous rookie record of 769 points. [NBA/AP] [CBS Sports]
How Did Olivia Miles Break Caitlin Clark’s Record?
Miles entered the September 20 game against Connecticut with 769 points, exactly tied with Clark’s record.
She did not score during the first quarter.
Twenty-nine seconds into the second quarter, Miles drew a foul and went to the free-throw line. Her first made free throw gave her the point she needed to move ahead of Clark.
Miles continued scoring throughout the game and finished with 21 points, bringing her season total to 790. [NBA/AP] [ESPN]
What Was Caitlin Clark’s Rookie Scoring Record?
Caitlin Clark scored 769 points during her 2024 rookie season with the Indiana Fever.
Clark played 40 regular-season games and averaged 19.2 points per game.
Her 769 points broke the previous rookie scoring record of 744 points established by Minnesota Lynx star Seimone Augustus in 2006. [WNBA] [WNBA]
How Many Points Does Olivia Miles Have?
Miles has 790 points through 40 games.
She is averaging approximately 19.8 points per game along with 4.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists.
Miles is also shooting approximately 49 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range during her rookie season. [CBS Sports]
Did Olivia Miles Need More Games Than Caitlin Clark To Break The Record?
No.
This is an important detail when comparing the two records.
Clark scored her 769 points over 40 games in 2024.
Miles passed Clark while playing her 40th game of the 2026 season.
Although the 2026 WNBA schedule consists of 44 games compared with 40 games in 2024, Miles did not require those additional games to pass Clark. [CBS Sports]
Why Does The WNBA Season Length Matter?
The WNBA’s regular-season schedule has expanded substantially over the league’s history.
That gives modern players more opportunities to accumulate counting statistics such as points, rebounds and assists.
The league’s schedule has included:
- 28 games: 1997
- 30 games: 1998
- 32 games: 1999-2002
- 34 games: 2003-2019
- 22 games: 2020 shortened season
- 32 games: 2021
- 36 games: 2022
- 40 games: 2023-2024
- 44 games: 2025-2026
- 50 games: planned for 2027
That context is especially important when comparing Miles and Clark with earlier stars such as Seimone Augustus, who played only 34 games during her record-setting rookie season. [WNBA]
Who Has The Highest Rookie Scoring Average In WNBA History?
Olivia Miles owns the record for total rookie points, but she does not hold the rookie record for points per game.
That distinction belongs to Seimone Augustus.
Augustus averaged 21.9 points per game as a rookie in 2006, scoring 744 points in a 34-game season.
Miles is averaging approximately 19.8 points per game, while Clark averaged 19.2 points during her rookie season.
That means there are two different ways to describe the records:
- Most total points by a rookie: Olivia Miles
- Highest rookie scoring average: Seimone Augustus
Who Are The Highest-Scoring Rookies In WNBA History?
After Miles passed Clark, the top five rookie single-season scoring totals were:
| Rank | Player | Season | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olivia Miles | 2026 | 790 and counting |
| 2 | Caitlin Clark | 2024 | 769 |
| 3 | Seimone Augustus | 2006 | 744 |
| 4 | Paige Bueckers | 2025 | 692 |
| 5 | A’ja Wilson | 2018 | 682 |
Who Held The Record Before Caitlin Clark?
Seimone Augustus held the rookie scoring record for nearly two decades.
Augustus scored 744 points in 34 games during her rookie season with the Minnesota Lynx in 2006.
Clark surpassed Augustus in 2024 and finished the season with 769 points.
Miles then passed Clark two years later, returning the rookie scoring record to a Minnesota Lynx player. [WNBA]
How Does Olivia Miles Compare With Seimone Augustus?
The comparison illustrates why both total points and scoring average matter when discussing historical scoring records.
Augustus scored 744 points in only 34 games and averaged 21.9 points.
Miles has scored 790 through 40 games while averaging approximately 19.8.
Therefore, Miles has produced more total points, while Augustus remains the more prolific rookie scorer on a per-game basis.
How Many Games Does Olivia Miles Have Left?
The Minnesota Lynx have two regular-season games remaining after beating Connecticut.
Minnesota closes the regular season with a home-and-home series against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever:
- September 22: Minnesota at Indiana
- September 24: Indiana at Minnesota
That means Miles could extend the record beyond her current 790 points before the playoffs begin. [WNBA] [CBS Sports]
Could Olivia Miles Reach 800 Points?
Yes.
Miles needs only 10 additional points to become the first WNBA rookie to reach 800 points in a season.
Given that she is averaging nearly 20 points per game and Minnesota has two games remaining, 800 points is within reach.
How high the final record goes will depend on her production and whether Minnesota chooses to manage playing time with the postseason approaching.
What Did Olivia Miles Say About Breaking Caitlin Clark’s Record?
Miles credited Minnesota’s team environment rather than focusing exclusively on the individual accomplishment.
She said the milestone reflected having teammates who support her and a coaching staff that trusts her.
Miles also said it was meaningful to establish the record during a victory. [NBA/AP]
What Other Rookie Records Has Olivia Miles Broken?
The scoring record is not the first rookie mark Miles has established during her 2026 season.
On June 4 against the Golden State Valkyries, Miles made eight three-pointers, setting a WNBA rookie record for threes in a single game.
Clark and Crystal Robinson had previously shared the record with seven. [ESPN]
Miles also became the fastest rookie to reach several combined statistical milestones.
She reached 350 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists in only 21 games, one game faster than Clark and former Charlotte Sting guard Andrea Stinson. [NBA/AP]
The WNBA also reported that Miles became the fastest player in league history to reach 650 points and 200 assists, accomplishing the feat in 32 games, one game faster than Clark. [WNBA]
Did Olivia Miles Break Caitlin Clark’s Rookie Three-Point Record?
Miles broke Clark’s single-game rookie record for made three-pointers, not Clark’s full-season three-point record.
Miles made eight three-pointers against Golden State on June 4.
Clark still holds the WNBA rookie record for total three-pointers in a season after making 122 threes in 2024. [WNBA]
What Rookie Records Does Caitlin Clark Still Hold?
Losing the scoring record does not erase Clark’s historic rookie season.
Clark finished 2024 with:
- 769 points, then the WNBA rookie scoring record
- 337 assists, a WNBA rookie record
- 122 made three-pointers, a WNBA rookie record
- The first triple-double by a rookie in WNBA history
Clark also set the overall WNBA single-game assist record with 19 assists during her rookie season. [WNBA] [WNBA]
How Good Has Olivia Miles Been As A Rookie?
Miles has been much more than simply a high-volume scorer.
Through the record-breaking game, she was averaging approximately:
- 19.8 points per game
- 6.0 assists per game
- 4.7 rebounds per game
- 49 percent shooting
- 39 percent from three-point range
She leads WNBA rookies in both scoring and assists and has played a major role for a Minnesota team competing for the league’s best regular-season record. [CBS Sports] [WNBA]
Where Was Olivia Miles Drafted?
The Minnesota Lynx selected Miles with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Miles entered the league after a college career that included time at Notre Dame and TCU.
She quickly became Minnesota’s starting point guard and was selected as a WNBA All-Star during her rookie season. [NBA/AP]
Why Is Olivia Miles’ Record Significant For The Lynx?
The record has special significance because the player Miles ultimately pushed down the franchise rookie scoring list was one of the greatest players in Lynx history.
Augustus scored 744 points for Minnesota in 2006.
Miles passed Augustus before overtaking Clark for the overall league record, making her the highest-scoring rookie in both Lynx and WNBA history. [WNBA]
Did Minnesota Win The Game When Miles Broke The Record?
Yes.
The Lynx defeated Connecticut 101-89.
Miles scored 21 points while Napheesa Collier led Minnesota with 23.
The victory improved Minnesota to 32-10 and moved the Lynx closer to securing the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the WNBA playoffs. [ESPN] [CBS Sports]
Is Olivia Miles’ Record Final?
No.
The record currently stands at 790 points, but that number can increase.
Minnesota has two regular-season games remaining, and every point Miles scores will add to the record.
The final 2026 WNBA rookie scoring record therefore will not be known until Miles plays her final regular-season game.
WNBA Rookie Scoring Record Timeline
2006: Seimone Augustus scores 744 points for Minnesota and establishes a rookie scoring mark that lasts for nearly two decades. [WNBA]
2024: Caitlin Clark passes Augustus and finishes her rookie season with 769 points for Indiana. [WNBA]
September 18, 2026: Miles enters Minnesota’s final stretch within reach of Clark and eventually reaches 769 points, tying the record.
September 20, 2026: Miles makes a second-quarter free throw against Connecticut to pass Clark. She finishes the game with 21 points and increases the record to 790. [NBA/AP]
September 22 and September 24: Minnesota’s final two scheduled regular-season games provide Miles with opportunities to extend the record. [WNBA]
Olivia Miles’ Rookie Scoring Record At A Glance
- Current record holder: Olivia Miles
- Team: Minnesota Lynx
- Current record: 790 points and counting
- Previous record: Caitlin Clark, 769 points
- Clark’s record year: 2024
- Previous record before Clark: Seimone Augustus, 744 points in 2006
- Game in which Miles broke the record: September 20, 2026 vs. Connecticut
- Record-breaking point: Second-quarter free throw
- Miles’ points in the game: 21
- Games Miles had played: 40
- Games Clark played as a rookie: 40
- 2026 WNBA season length: 44 games
- Highest rookie scoring average: Seimone Augustus, 21.9 PPG
- Minnesota games remaining: 2
So What Is The WNBA Rookie Scoring Record Now?
The record is currently 790 points by Olivia Miles.
Miles passed Caitlin Clark’s previous mark of 769 points on September 20, 2026, and importantly, she did it in her 40th appearance — the same number of games Clark played during her entire rookie season.
The historical comparison does require context. WNBA seasons are longer today than during much of the league’s history, which is why Seimone Augustus could average a rookie-record 21.9 points per game in 2006 yet finish with only 744 total points.
But in terms of the official single-season total, Miles is now No. 1.
And with two Minnesota games remaining, 790 is probably not the final number. [NBA/AP] [WNBA]
