Olivia Miles surprised a lot of NCAAW and WNBA fans when she decided to forgo her first draft-eligible season and she transferred from Notre Dame to TCU in one fell swoop. But as the WNBA appears no closer to negotiating the terms of a new CBA in time for Friday's deadline, Miles' decision to stay in college for another season is starting to look especially smart.
Miles admitted as much while speaking to ESPN last week at Big 12 women's basketball media day. "The WNBA is figuring out their own stuff [with the CBA] as we're watching," she told the outlet. "So, let them figure it out, and for one more year, I'll enjoy college."
Miles and Notre Dame saw their Final Four dreams crushed by TCU last season, and many assumed she would take the opportunity to leave college and be drafted into the WNBA. But Miles had other plans and is now currently projected to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft (which would land her on the Minnesota Lynx).
Of course, a lot can happen during a basketball season, and there are certainly no guarantees this early in any one player's or team's path. Miles also admitted that she's fully aware that a delay in signing a new CBA could even delay her own draft night — but she isn't super worried about any of it.
She also told ESPN: "Right now, it's all still opinions on what is going to change. We hear there is going to be a lot of [player] movement and the league will look different next season. So, for now, I just prioritize what is right in front of me. I'll start thinking about everything else later on."
TCU are heading into the 2025-26 season as conference favorites
Miles is expected to fill a Hailey Van Lith-sized hole at TCU, and she's entering into a team who are heavy favorites in their conference. Miles, who averaged 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 101 games for Notre Dame, will also likely be a leader on the team.
Despite that average, Miles admitted the biggest reason she didn't want to be drafted ahead of the 2025 season is that she didn't fill 100% confident following a knee injury that caused her to miss the 2022-23 postseason and the 2023-24 season with the Fighting Irish. She admitted she "wasn't in great shape, mentally" which is another reason the move from Notre Dame to TCU made sense.
TCU will have a lot to live up to and overcome: the team lost four starters last season, which is a big blow for a program that was just beginning to stretch its legs. There will be lots of room for Miles to maneuver within if she wants it, and it seems it's all hers for the taking.