Olivia Miles-led Minnesota Lynx lost to Angel Reese’s Atlanta Dream 89-81 on Sunday, Aug. 30. Miles finished with another 20+ scoring night. However, her zero assists put her under a microscope, attracting tons of reactions from the WNBA world.
Olivia Miles’ 0-Assist Night Drew Harsh WNBA Reactions
Miles lit up the scoreboard with a team-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe. But her playmaking was almost nonexistent, as she finished the game without a single assist. Besides, she also posted a team-worst minus-19 plus-minus during 30 minutes of play.
Her lack of involvement in creating opportunities for her teammates quickly became a major talking point, especially as the rookie phenom has been in MVP conversations.
“Stop telling me Olivia Miles deserves better odds for WNBA MVP than Caitlin Clark,” OutKick’s Jon Root asserted.
Stop telling me Olivia Miles deserves better odds for WNBA MVP than Caitlin Clark… https://t.co/seC9ZKuuRf pic.twitter.com/aImL3BKffD
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) August 30, 2026
“Everybody on the Lynx roster got an assist today vs the Dream except for Olivia Miles… Nasty work,” one WNBA observer highlighted.
Everybody on the Lynx roster got an assist today vs the Dream except for Olivia Miles… Nasty work
pic.twitter.com/599esusjGA— Rob | 👣 (@GrownFolk_919) August 30, 2026
For half of the game, Miles was even sloppy on the scoring end. During the first two quarters, she managed nine points.
X handle Letstalksports took a dig at Miles, calling her game “one-dimensional.”
“Olivia Miles: 9 PTS, 0 AST — looking every bit like a rookie after struggling the last few games. Super one-dimensional right now. But y’all told me she’s better than Caitlin Clark. SHUT THE HELL UP. 😭,” Letstalksports joked.
Miles gained some momentum in the second half of the game and added 12 points to her tally. But her playmaking remained a no-show.
“Please stop mentioning Olivia Miles and Caitlin Clark in the same sentence. Immediately,” Letstalksports iterated, highlighting Miles’ stat line.
🚨 FINAL: ATLANTA DREAM 89 — MINNESOTA LYNX 81🚨🚨🚨
Atlanta basically controlled this game from start to finish. Minnesota looked like they never got off the damn plane.
Angel Reese: 15 PTS | 11 REB double-double.
Olivia Miles: 21 PTS | ZERO ASSISTS🤡🤡
Please stop… pic.twitter.com/yyzUJ7ptCP
— Jason (@letstalkksports) August 30, 2026
One X user took the criticism to another level, bringing Caitlin Clark into the picture and highlighting that the Indiana Fever superstar has never had a zero-assist night in her entire basketball career.
“Point guard Olivia Miles had zero assists today against the Dream and the worst plus-minus on her team. She needed to get her teammates involved in order to get the W, but couldn’t do so. Fun fact: Caitlin Clark has never had a game in college or in the WNBA with no assists,” the X user wrote.
Point guard Olivia Miles had zero assists today against the Dream and the worst plus-minus on her team. She needed to get her teammates involved in order to get the W, but couldn’t do so.
Fun fact: Caitlin Clark has never had a game in college or in the WNBA with no assists.
— Kevin O’Reilly (@oreilly636) August 30, 2026
“Olivia Miles leading the Lynx in scoring isn’t a recipe for success. If she is not playmaking and getting the easy buckets for the others, the Lynx are an entirely different team, as we saw vs the Dream,” another X user posted.
Olivia Miles leading the Lynx in scoring isn’t a recipe for success. If she is not playmaking and getting the easy buckets for the others, the Lynx are an entirely different team, as we saw vs the Dream.
— Tabitha David (@Tmariesaidso) August 31, 2026
Miles played for Notre Dame and TCU during her collegiate career but never won the NCAA basketball championship. Her non-existent playmaking against the Dream also brought that fact into the spotlight.
One user argued that Miles is not a team player, writing:
“When your team goes on a run because you are not playing your role (pg with 0 assists), more obsessed with your own points, and a CONE on defense – you are not a team player nor a winner. This is why Olivia Miles never won a tournament in 4 years of college.”
But the most glaring part of Miles’ play during the night was her plus-minus score. Despite being the leading scorer, the Lynx rookie registered the worst minus-19 plus-minus, which highlights how ineffective her performance was against the Dream.
Putting that into perspective, one X user quipped, “Is that -19?”
Miles has been a steady presence for the Lynx throughout the season. She leads the team in both scoring and assists and has played a major role in the Lynx’s 31-9 record and their position atop the WNBA standings.
But the Lynx have now dropped two straight games. With the playoffs approaching, a dip in Miles’ playmaking could become a major concern for Minnesota.
