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In a stunning move, Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles, who was a projected top-five WNBA Draft pick, opted to skip the 2025 WNBA Draft and enter the transfer portal. WNBA star Kelsey Mitchell weighed in, urging Miles to make “conscious” decisions for her career.
Kelsey Mitchell’s Warning to Olivia Miles After Skipping WNBA Draft
Miles shook up the basketball scene when she decided to skip the 2025 WNBA Draft, where everyone thought she’d be snatched up as the No. 2 pick right after UConn’s Paige Bueckers. Instead, the Notre Dame star threw her name into the transfer portal and was rumored to be considering TCU.
After the news broke, everyone’s buzzing about what this means for women’s basketball, especially with all the talk about how Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals are shaking up players’ choices.
On a recent episode of the “Sports Are Fun!” podcast, WNBA standout Mitchell — a two-time All-Star in the pros and four-time first-team All-Big 10 selection — chimed in about Miles’ big move.
“I’m sure whatever she decides, it’s what’s best for her and her career,” Mitchell said, giving a nod to Miles landing at TCU. But she also threw in a little friendly advice: “I just hope they’re really thinking it through and doing what’s right for them.”
You can tell she’s seen how crazy things can get with all the new opportunities and pressures college athletes are juggling these days.
Miles had a solid 2024-25 season at Notre Dame, putting up 15.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game. Still, Notre Dame couldn’t make it past the Sweet 16 while she was there, and maybe that’s part of why she decided to switch things up.
If she chooses TCU, she will join a team that has maximized contributions from veteran players like Hailey Van Lith in recent seasons under the leadership of coach Mark Campbell. It feels like she’s betting on herself to level up even more before she takes on the pros.
Miles’ Bold Decision: A New Path Beyond the WNBA Draft
Miles dodging the WNBA Draft feels like part of a bigger shift we’re seeing with top college athletes. More and more, athletes are tapping into the transfer portal and those sweet NIL deals to stack their cash and keep growing their game.
NIL gigs in college can compete and even beat what can be made as a rookie in the WNBA; That’s probably a big reason Miles went this route. At 22, Miles has earned multiple All-American honors and has been a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, so she’s got plenty of time to polish her skills. TCU might just be the spot where she really takes off.
The transfer portal is changing the game. It’s giving athletes more control, more options, and more ways to align their decisions with long-term goals. Like Mitchell said, it’s all about moving “consciously.”
If Miles joins the Horned Frogs, she’d likely benefit from sharing the court with Kentucky transfer Clara Silva, gaining experience, spotlight, and valuable NIL exposure along the way.
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