2026 Olivia Miles vs. 2024 Caitlin Clark
WRITTEN + EDITED BY JORDYN BONTRAGER
What a time it is to be alive for WNBA fans.
The W initiated two new clubs for their inaugural seasons this year, and in an unforeseen plot twist both Portland + Toronto currently find themselves firmly entrenched in the thick of their respective playoff races. A trio of additional expansion teams (Cleveland x Detroit x Philadelphia) are also set to hop aboard Cathy’s bus by 2030.
Or should we say Caitlin’s bus?
With all due respect to every other amazing woman whose contributions count towards the greater good of everything the WNBA stands for, let us never ever forget the catalyst who ultimately created this entire wave of positive chaos BY HERSELF. The league’s renaissance started the second that Caitlin Clark’s name was muttered over that Brooklyn Academy of Music microphone back in the Spring of ‘24. That announcement was not only a manifestation of a young girl’s greatest childhood dreams coming true from a narrower angle, but also the commencement of a new age in women’s hoops.
The CC spectacle sparked frequent fan frenzies off the floor as planet earth fell captive to Clark’s immovable aura, while her unparalleled presence from the point of this team’s control on the court was almost unfathomable for a WNBA first timer. To be fair, Hall of Fame forwards Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker did more than enough all over the court during their iconic rookie seasons to push Clark’s inaugural output downwards to 3rd place in terms of all-time rookie szns when grouped with all players of past/present.
In terms of point guards, the universal assumption was that the W world would never witness anywhere close to the type of rookie transcendence Clark authored right from day 1. From a strictly numerical standpoint, 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers stood stride for stride with ‘24 ROY Caitlin. The difference between the two All-Star freshman was the much heavier dosage of defeats which Bueckers and Dallas withstood.
After Paige nearly laid those earlier noted freshman floor general assumptions amongst the universe to rest last year, Olivia Miles has eliminated their existence altogether already this year. Everybody braced for the challenges that come with life containing Miles, but nobody anticipated the rookie savant spearheading the Lynx to a 9-2 scorcher to start the szn without NaPheesa Collier (, Bridget Carelton, and Alana Smith). And nobody in their right minds cast Miles as an MVP candidate throughout the preseason…
Following an unforgettable collegiate career that was highlighted by her conquering of the ever-dreaded ACL tearin her earlier years at Notre Dame, some scouts were unsure how quickly the elite prospect’s explosive skillset would translate over to the professional ranks. The timeline it took for that translation to transpire was shortly after the opening buzzer sounded during the regular season opener with Atlanta. In a wire-to-wire nail biter where Minnesota fell short a single tally mark, it was the rook leading the way with 21 points + 8 helpers in her debut.
Miles has yet to look back since that head-turning introduction, nor has she realistically even sniffed any ‘off nights’ since. She casts the same intelligent core competencies night in and night out: a constant desire to get out and do the fast break dash, super surveillance in transition, crafty finishing around the rim, swift defensive swipers, phenomenal overall feel, etc. Yet, it seems like every game she shows us something different to shake things up.
In the latest gutsy act of elevation on June 4th, Magic Miles transformed her most worrisome early season woe (2/18 from deep in May) into Minnesota’s most indispensable ingredient (8/13 in the game) versus the Valkyries tireless exterior resistance. Her 8 triples marked a new WNBA record for most EVER made by a rookie, a record previously held by some lady named Caitlin Clark.
Miles and Clark should continue to see their names tethered together throughout each respective career by analysts of the game for a few valid reasons:
Clark (24) is only 13 months older than Miles (23), meaning they should essentially share the exact same career timeline.
Both began their careers with ‘Big Bang’ level bangs. Clark was the undisputed Rookie of the Year in 2024 and Miles would unquestionably earn the present season’s acknowledgement if for whatever reason the season ended abruptly today.
Let’s be honest, they play a nearly mirror image of each others’ game.
Both sit comfortably among the top 5 PG’s the league has to show for it as of this current time. That statement now seems like it will be a staple of the WNBA for the next decade.
The offseason following Clark’s selection in the draft, veterans like Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner signed with the Fever. The offseason following Paige Bueckers’s selection in the draft, veterans like Jessica Shepard x Alana Smith signed with the Wings. Odds are Olivia will follow suit on the same wavelength as a recruiting asset. Simple.
The comparisons to come seem inevitable, but at the end of the day let us not comparison rob us of appreciating two of the greatest young point guards the WNBA has seen to date.
