Veteran ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe did her very best to bait dynamic Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles into talking about Caitlin Clark. Miles, the runaway leader in the WNBA Rookie of the Year race, didn’t fall for the bait and quickly diverted to giving Fever star guard Kelsey Mitchell her flowers.
In a matchup that featured two of the best teams in the league and the league’s two highest scoring teams in a 108-100 home win by the Lynx (25-6) over the Fever (19-11), Miles shined with 28 points, six rebounds and four assists on 11-14 shooting but it was her halftime interview that stole the show.
Miles Talks Mitchell Not Clark
Speaking at halftime to ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Miles was asked about playing against Indiana guard Caitlin Clark and the competition in the game. Miles would mention how it is “so fun” playing against the league’s best guards, shouting out Mitchell, who had 23 points at halftime, saying guarding her has been her “Welcome to the W moment.”
Holly Rowe: “This is the first time we’ve seen you and Caitlin Clark go at each other… what is this like for you?”
Olivia Miles: “It’s so fun playing with great guards,” Miles said, via “SportsCenter.” “You know, Kelsey Mitchell is really the one that’s killing us right now. I’m just kind of in awe watching her. Like, this is low-key my ‘Welcome to the W moment,’ just trying to guard her. But it’s so fun, you know. We have respect for each other, so it’s fun.”
“She’s special. And I say this time and time again, she’s also a great human. She garners a lot of respect, both on and off the court.”
Miles added that Mitchell told her to “keep growing the game.”
Miles downplayed Rowe’s Clark reference to make sure she gave much-deserved respect to Mitchell, who finished with 37 points on 14-for-21 shooting, including 6 of 8 from three.
Fans Have Plenty To Say About Exchange
It didn’t take long for fans to make the claim that Miles either hates Clark or maybe she’s a real one for saying what was right and not what Rowe wanted her to say.
“Maybe they should send 2-3 defenders on Mitchell the way they do to Caitlin Clark idk just a thought,” a fan said.
To which another fan responded, “They did and she split them and scored twice.”
“Reporter wanted her to talk about Clark so bad and she curved,” another person replied.
“Thank you Olivia for saying Kelsey Mitchell. People refuse to give her credit like she’s not the best player on the Fever,” someone else mentioned.
“Miles was not dissing Clark, she was expressing how hard it is to guard Kelsey. I mean, after 30 games, she feels that she is getting her welcome to the W game,” a fan quipped.
“Thank you Olivia for giving Kelsey her flowers! Sick of her getting overlooked,” a fan commented.
“Miles a real one. Brushed off that Caitlin Clark glaze,” a fan spewed.
In reality all four guards in the game, including Clark and Lynx guard Courtney Williams, played well in the best guard battle in the WNBA this season.
Miles Has Been Sensational All Season
The 2026 No. 2 overall pick out of TCU has been nothing short of sensational all season. She leads all rookies while averaging 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game for the Lynx.
She also became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 150 assists, achieving the feat in just 26 games.
Miles was named WNBA Rookie of the Month for May after opening her career with a dominant double-digit scoring streak.
She’s also shooting efficiently at 50.2% from the field and 38.0% from three-point range.
