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Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles, the projected No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, has decided not to turn pro this year. However, she will not return to Notre Dame, and will instead enter the transfer portal, according to Shams Charania.
Miles, a senior, has an extra year of eligibility after taking a medical redshirt last season.
Miles’ decision is stunning on multiple fronts. After missing all of last season with a torn ACL, Miles was terrific for the Fighting Irish this season. She averaged 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists and showed off a much improved 3-point shot (40.6% on 5.3 attempts), which had been her biggest weakness.
Even after a disappointing end to the season, which included a 3 of 10 outing in Notre Dame’s Sweet 16 loss to TCU in the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament, Miles was a guaranteed lottery pick, and was projected to go No. 2 to the Seattle Storm in CBS Sports’ latest mock draft.
An anonymous WNBA general manager called Miles the “second safest pick after Paige [Bueckers]” in a recent story on The Athletic.
“I am still thinking about what I want to do, but leaning towards the draft,” Miles said in Notre Dame’s locker room after the loss to TCU. “But tomorrow, I might wake up and be like, ‘I want to come back.’ So, it just changes every day. I love college. I think I’ve outgrown it a little bit, though, so that makes my decision tougher to stay. It’s comfortable, a place where you have security.
“The W … the volatility is up and down. So I don’t know. I’m deciding between a bunch of factors.”
One definite factor is money. The WNBPA is opting out of the current collective bargaining agreement at the end of the 2025 WNBA season, and is seeking “transformational change.” While the players have made it clear the labor battle is not solely about higher salaries, that is one of their tentpole demands.
If Miles declared for the draft this year, she would have been stuck on the current rookie scale contract. Lottery picks in 2025 will make $78,831 in their first season and $348,198 over the course of their four-year deal. When the new CBA is in place for the 2026 season, however, the rookie scale deals are expected to be much higher, likely starting in the low six figures as a rookie.
Over the course of her rookie deal, Miles could potentially make an extra $100,000-plus by waiting to turn pro in 2026.
While there was no guarantee the Storm were going to draft Miles, her decision to return to college certainly shakes up the draft board. Other options for Seattle include French center Dominique Malonga, fellow Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron and USC forward Kiki Iriafen. LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson could also be in the mix if she decides to declare.
As for Notre Dame, Miles’ departure is devastating. It would have been one thing if she went pro. But if she returned to school, the Fighting Irish would have expected to have her back to team up with Hannah Hidalgo as part of one of the most dynamic backcourts in the country.
It’s unclear where Miles will end up at this point, but she’ll be a major boost for whichever program she decides to join.
