4 Olivia Miles questions as the Notre Dame star surprisingly hits the transfer portal
Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles is returning for another year of college basketball.
That sentence doesn't even feel real. Writing that statement out on April Fool's Day feels like some wild internet joke you stumble upon and don't even read because you know it possibly can't be true.
Sorry, basketball fans. This news has some legitimacy.
On Monday, news broke that Miles intends to forgo the 2025 WNBA Draft (Rest in peace, my WNBA mock draft 3.0; I hardly knew ye) and use her final year of eligibility. However, another kicker is that she intends to enter the transfer portal. The reverberations of such a stunning decision by Miles leave a lot of questions.
Here are four questions that need answers as Olivia Miles intends to transfer:
1. How does Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles returning to college affect the 2025 WNBA Draft?
Upon hearing the news, the Washington Mystics' front office likely said a few NSFW words that the possibility of landing Olivia Miles is not only gone, but it won't even happen at all. That's brutal news, especially after landing three picks in the first round. (If you know a Mystics fan, they might need a hug, too.)The Seattle Storm probably said, "Aw, shucks," and kept it moving. (Maybe I'm wrong, but I've never been convinced that Miles was their target when they already have five guards on the roster.) Regarding the rest of the teams in the first round, they probably knew landing Miles was a long shot.
However, Miles forgoing the draft unequivocally re-sets the entire first round. This is a landscape-shifting decision. Not to be dramatic, but after UConn star Paige Bueckers goes to the Dallas Wings (assuming that happens), it's anyone's guess who gets drafted and where they fall. It's truly up in the air, meaning some chaos might happen on April 14. Don't be shocked if several guards (Sonia Citron, Shyanne Sellers, Saniya Rivers, etc.) go higher and a few bigs (Kiki Iriafen and Aneesah Morrow) move up the board, too.
2. What does Notre Dame's Olivia Miles gain by forgoing the WNBA Draft?
Not going to the WNBA does have a few benefits for Olivia Miles. First, she can get healthy. Miles has been playing with an ankle/foot injury since the ACC conference championship. While she played through it during March Madness, it was clear that she wasn't quite herself on the court. Next, going back allows her to continue developing, as cliché as that sounds. Miles has room for growth on the defensive side of the ball, and if she wants to have a long career in the pro ranks, being a more polished two-way guard goes a long way.
Then, there's the elephant in the room: money. Returning to college gives Miles more chance to stack her NIL bag, which would turn into endorsements once she's on a WNBA roster. Returning to college and possibly entering the 2026 draft also allows the senior guard to make more money as a rookie with a new expected WNBA CBA in place by the time she turns pro.
3. What are some possible landing spots for Notre Dame senior Olivia Miles?
Predicting where Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles will land might be tricky, given that many top programs are seemingly set at the point guard position, but there are a few landing spots. South Carolina becomes the most obvious choice. Playing for coach Dawn Staley as a guard will undoubtedly pay dividends toward a future pro career and any ongoing development. Plus, Staley is one of the best recruiters in the country and lands top talent regularly.
UConn and coach Geno Auriemma make a lot of sense as well. Like Staley, Auriemma is a top recruiter and can help with Miles' development on both sides of the ball. Additionally, what a wild turn of events it would be to see Miles in a UConn uniform, sliding into the spot that Paige Bueckers vacated. What a world. That's a gnarly plot twist and an embarrassment of riches for a historic UConn program.
4. What happened between Notre Dame and Olivia Miles?
Olivia Miles forgoing the WNBA draft and returning to college is shocking, but not nearly as surprising as her entering the transfer portal. Perhaps Miles wants to see what's out there, and she returns to Notre Dame for one last ride. However, if she isn't returning to the Fighting Irish (Oof!), that raises many questions.
What happened at Notre Dame? What would cause her to leave? What are her goals upon arrival to a new program? What happens to the Fighting Irish now? Presumably, coach Niele Ivey and her staff likely prepared for a world without Miles, but perhaps not in *this* fashion. The thought of Notre Dame playing a game next season and Miles being on the court in the opposing team's lineup feels all kinds of wild to think about.
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