Olivia Miles' transition into the WNBA has been seamless. Everybody knew of the rookie star's talent, but nobody predicted the immediate impact she would make in her first year. Miles' aggressive inside play and sublime playmaking skills have elevated the Minnesota Lynx to the summit of the regular-season standings. And now, during the sides' 87-84 Commissioner Cup victory over the Golden State Valkyries, Miles became even more menacing by adding 3-point shooting to her repertoire.
After being selected second overall during the 2026 WNBA draft, it was only a matter of time before Miles became acclimatised to her new surroundings and began to have a positive impact for the Lynx. Expectations were tempered in Minnesota as the season began, lowering the intense scrutiny that usually lands on the shoulders of a player who possesses limitless potential.
In this reality, Miles has thrived, leading the charge for the Lynx alongside her electric backcourt partner, Courtney Williams. Throughout her first year in the WNBA, Miles has averaged 17 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Despite this offensive hot streak, the 23-year-old has only hit 11% of her shots from deep -- that is, until the Valkyries rolled into town.
Olivia Miles is becoming unstoppable
Every player has their weaknesses -- especially a rookie who is just nine games into their career. What is not expected is for that particular rookie to rip up the stats sheet and rewrite reality in their tenth appearance. Yet, this is exactly what Olivia Miles did.
Before Minnesota defeated Golden State, Miles had shot just 2-for-18 from 3-point range. In itself, that was not much of an issue for the franchise. The TCU alum was still averaging 49.5% from the floor, while facilitating plays for her teammates. Adding shooting from range to her arsenal would benefit the Lynx, but it was not an issue that was negatively impacting their game-winning ability.
However, the league has now witnessed what added versatility looks like on Olivia Miles, and to put it frankly, it is terrifying. The Lynx's newest superstar went 8-for-11 from deep to obliterate the single-game rookie record for 3-pointers made -- a record that was previously held by Caitlin Clark and Crystal Robinson (seven).
Olivia Miles was made for the big leagues 💪
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 5, 2026
She set a new rookie record with 8 threes in a game passing Caitlin Clark and Crystal Robinson. Miles also tied the Lynx franchise record for three-pointers in a regular season game.
She finished the night with 28 PTS (career-high),… pic.twitter.com/3zXWIunQ6V
Fortunately for her opponents around the league, this was a one-off performance from Miles. At no point during this season has she registered such a high volume of shots from that range -- and she certainly has not scored that many.
Nevertheless, if this does become a constant feature of Olivia Miles' skill set, then the league should be petrified. Versatility of this nature is unguardable; even Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers fail to show this level of efficiency on a nightly basis. To make matters worse, when the Lynx finally unleash Napheesa Collier onto the league, Miles is going to have even more space to wreak havoc.
Are the Minnesota Lynx now championship favourites?
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