It's not often that a projected top-3 pick opts to avoid the professional draft but, for the moment, that is what Notre Dame women's basketball star guard Olivia Miles will do, and she also will enter the transfer portal.
Miles was picked to go as high as No. 2 overall in the WNBA Draft a few weeks but, ESPN's Shams Charania reported, she's opting for college. She gave her all for the Fighting Irish, who were eliminated Saturday in the Sweet 16 by TCU.
Miles was mum on her future after the loss: "I truly don't know what I want to do," she told reporters in Birmingham, Ala. She said that she needed to make phone calls and talk to people, and the emotions of the loss were still strong. The 5-foot-10 guard was eight days removed from an ankle injury that impacted her in a second-round victory over Michigan.
She only scored two points in a first-round win over Stephen F. Austin but dished eight assists. She was injured in the fourth quarter of the 106-54 win. After a day off, she scored eight points with five assists and four rebounds in a 76-55 win over Michigan, potentially her last game at Purcel Pavilion.
But the rest helped as she was quick against TCU, at one point snatching the ball on a TCU player's drive, collecting it and sprinting up court. After crossing the timeline, Miles fixed her goggles and whipped a no-look pass to Maddy Westbeld. Miles also had several stepback 3s. She finished with 10 points, three assists and two rebounds in the 71-62 loss.
It was a tough end to Miles' return to the court. She missed the 2023-24 season with a torn ACL. But her return gave Notre Dame one of the best backcourts in the country alongside sophomore superstar Hannah Hidalgo. Miles had a nation-leading three triple-doubles and averaged 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
