Lynx's Olivia Miles outduels Fever's Kelsey Mitchell in her 'welcome to the W moment'

Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lynx's Olivia Miles outduels Fever's Kelsey Mitchell in her 'welcome to the W moment'

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Aug 2, 2026 5:01 PM ET

On Sunday, Minnesota Lynx rookie guard Olivia Miles was wonderstruck for the first time this season.

At halftime of Minnesota's home game against the Indiana Fever, Miles admitted to ESPN's Holly Rowe that she was "in awe" of guard Kelsey Mitchell.

"This is lowkey my welcome to the W moment, just trying to guard her," Miles said while the Lynx led 64-53.

Luckily for Minnesota, Miles didn't blink. She instead delivered another sensational performance.

"This is lowkey my welcome to the W moment, just trying to guard her."

—Olivia Miles told @sportsiren that she was "in awe" facing Kelsey Mitchell pic.twitter.com/IEzBybL6ib
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 2, 2026

Olivia Miles outduels Kelsey Mitchell in Lynx's win over Fever

Miles scored a team-high 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting and logged four rebounds and six assists in a 108-100 win over Indiana. She did most of her damage in the first half. Per ESPN Insights, the guard assisted or scored on 36 of the team's points (56 percent).

Olivia Miles in the first half:
Scored or assisted on 36 points (56% of MIN offense)
6-7 FG off the dribble; 8-10 FG on contested FG
Doubled 7 times (MIN scored 12 points)
Scored on 4 different halfcourt defenders
Teammates shot 5-9 FG (3-7 3-pt FG) off her passes https://t.co/TIfq7NTq35 pic.twitter.com/JEdKtHwtsD
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) August 2, 2026

Mitchell didn't disappoint, either. She scored a game-high 37 points on 14-of-21 shooting (including six made three-pointers) and had one rebound and three assists. Fever guard Caitlin Clark, meanwhile, scored 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting.

The Lynx's victory snapped a five-game win streak for the Fever (19-11) and further cemented their status as the WNBA's top team. Minnesota is now 25-6 and has won 10 straight contests.

Miles, the second pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft, is one big reason the Lynx may win their fifth championship this season. Per StatMuse, the 23-year-old now has the third-most games (four) with 25-plus points and five-plus assists by a rookie in WNBA history.

Olivia Miles vs Indiana:

28 PTS
6 AST
11-14 FG

Has the third-most 25/5a games by a rookie in WNBA history. pic.twitter.com/PQFenzXpnx
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 2, 2026

At this point, Rookie of the Year is Miles' award to lose. She's the offensive engine for a championship contender and demonstrated the poise of a seasoned veteran in her "welcome to the W moment."

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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