ESPN senior NBA Insider Shams Charania dropped a major bombshell Monday night when he announced Olivia Miles will forgo the 2025 WNBA Draft — and that she has entered the transfer portal, presumably with the intention of leaving Notre Dame.
"Notre Dame's Olivia Miles – the projected No. 2 pick in the WNBA draft this month – will forgo the draft and enter NCAA's transfer portal, sources tell ESPN," Charania wrote on X. "The 22-year-old top prospect makes unprecedented decision to use her one year remaining of college instead of the draft."
Olivia Miles' decision has major implications for the 2025 WNBA Draft
The potential impact of Miles' decision on this year's draft is huge and varied. Forgoing the draft could simply mean that someone else — perhaps her teammate Sonia Citron — is simply bumped up a spot (or that the Seattle Storm land Dominique Malonga, a French prospect whose name is on the tip of the tongue of nearly every WNBA team right now). There is also a potential downside for Miles, as it's not clear if her draft stock will be as high as it is now in a year — but clearly that's a gamble she's willing to take.
It could also mean that LSU standout Flau'Jae Johnson decides to enter the draft after all. Johnson, who turns 22 in November but still has one more year of eligibility available. On Sunday Johnson told ESPN she plans to speak to Kim Mulkey and her family before making a decision.
Teams who should pursue Olivia Miles ahead of the 2025-26 season
Entering the transfer portal doesn't necessarily mean Miles will leave Notre Dame (though it probably does mean the Fighting Irish will have to put together a righteous NIL package to keep her).
Assuming she does want to move to a new team, there are endless options for one of the best athletes in college basketball. Most of the SEC will have plenty of NIL money to offer her if that's the top priority, including LSU, Alabama, and Texas.
But if Miles is more focused on looking for programs where she can maximize her abilities and grow, she should give Ole Miss and Kentucky a strong look. The Landsharks are in need of a point guard, will want to make a deep run next year during the NCAA Tournament, and would likely be happy to build a program around Miles.
Likewise, Kentucky needs a replacement for Georgia Amoore and Coach Kenny Brooks has demonstrated he similarly understands what it's like to surprise everyone and transfer from one program to another.
No matter what decision Miles makes, it's guaranteed to be one of the most closely watched of the season (this or next).