Olivia Miles’ scoring slump didn’t last long. After a tough night on Friday against the Golden State Valkyries, the rookie is back on the scoring charts. While her team faced a tough defeat to the Washington Mystics, the No. 2 draftee’s performance saw another Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers record tumble.

Against the Mystics, Miles led the night with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. This stat line helped her surpass the 300+ points, 75+ rebounds, and 75+ assists mark, making her the fastest player to do so in just 17 games, per a post on X by the Real App, leaving Clark and Bueckers behind.

This isn’t the first time, though, that Miles has forced her way into Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers’ conversation. After the game against the Portland Fire as well, the Minnesota rookie surpassed Clark to become the joint-fastest player, alongside Bueckers, to reach the 250 points and 80 assists mark.

These records and stats make it seemingly clear that Miles’ career is on the same trajectory as the last two WNBA Rookie of the Year winners. And her numbers mirror the same as well. 18.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 5.6 apg (as per WNBA.com) reflect the blazing start Miles has had in her WNBA career.

However, Miles’ season hasn’t just been about elite playmaking or finding baskets. Instead, it’s been about resiliency, and the Mystics’ game was the perfect testament to it. As a rookie, it’s generally convincing to get bogged down after a bad game, but not Miles.

The No. 2 draftee had a disastrous outing against the Valkyries, where she recorded just seven points in 32 minutes. She just nailed a single field goal in the game and even committed six turnovers. Against it, the Minnesota point guard scored 9 of 18 from the field and anchored the team’s offense at the Target Center on Sunday.

Yet despite that, the Minnesota Lynx couldn’t cross the finishing line. And to a certain extent, Miles had certain tactical errors during the game as well. The No. 2 draftee made a costly turnover with just 19 seconds remaining while sending the ball inbound.

Georgia Amoore got possession of the ball, but Miles immediately fouled her, and the Washington Mystics got two free-throw opportunities. The lead that was just limited to a point before this sequence extended to three points, and the Lynx never recovered, losing 84-79.

Despite being a rookie, Miles came forward in the post-game press conference and took responsibility for the entire ‘miscommunication’.

“The play was for Nia. If Nia wasn’t there, I was supposed to get it to Mac. Miscommunication there, that’s on me,” Miles had said as per the Minnesota Lynx’s YouTube channel. “I’ll be better. Obviously, I’m not blaming anyone but myself. That’s why I’m a bit frustrated.”

Yet despite these shortcomings, Olivia Miles is not entirely frustrated and is looking for redemption in the coming days.

Olivia Miles is Glad to Face Washington Again After Facing a Loss Against Them

In the last few games, Olivia Miles has shown immense maturity as a rookie. Firstly, she had the sheer gumption to record a 20+ night after an off night, but also to take accountability for her mistakes. And she isn’t just stopping there, to be honest, and is looking to fix them at the very next opportunity.

“Definitely, it is frustrating to not get the result you want,” Miles had said as per the Minnesota Lynx YouTube channel. “But you just got to watch the film and be better. Luckily, we got a shot at them in a few days.”

While Miles’ assessment reflects her confidence in herself and her team, there are certain issues Minnesota will need to address. The Mystics’ game saw Minnesota outrebounded 33-27. On top of that, the Lynx just had four shots from deep in the entire game.

Veterans like Natasha Howard, Courtney Williams, and Kayla McBride scored double figures in the game. But it’s very difficult to win games when a team just scores 19% from beyond the arc. Williams and Miles, who are the top three-point shooters on the team, also had just one shot each from that distance.

Cheryl Reeve will have to regroup her team as quickly as possible before the next face-off against Washington. The game is scheduled for June 24 at the CareFirst Arena.