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WNBA teams will have to wait another year before they get the chance to add a top prospect in the draft.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles will forgo the 2025 WNBA draft and instead enter the transfer portal for her final year of college eligibility. ESPN’s Michael Voepel projected Miles as the No. 2 pick in his latest mock draft.
Charania added that it’s “unprecedented” that Miles chose both to forgo the draft as a top-2 projected pick and transfer.
Miles earned AP All-American second-team honors this season as she started all 34 games for Notre Dame and averaged 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three-point range.
During the NCAA tournament, Miles suffered a scary ankle injury in the first round against Stephen F. Austin, but she managed to continue playing. However, she was limited to eight points in a second-round win over Michigan and 10 points in the team’s loss to TCU in the Sweet 16. She discussed her thought process after the loss.
“[Potentially being] a lottery pick is a lot to give up. I’ve worked hard for that,” Miles said at the time, per Voepel. “I truly believe I’ve put myself in a great position for teams to look at me and see my value at that level. I have to trust myself with whatever decision I make; either decision would be good for me. I need to make a few calls and talk to some people. But I’ll be prepared and confident in the decision.”
Miles ultimately decided that a change in scenery was her best course as she continued her development before taking the next step and joining the WNBA. She will undoubtedly be the most coveted player in the transfer portal this year.
