Olivia Miles‘ Return Vindicated by WNBA Draft Hype

Going again to highschool paid dividends for TCU’s Olivia Miles, who has inserted herself into the highest choose dialog on the 2026 WNBA Draft.

NEW YORK—Irrespective of how playing advertisements and presents assault the senses throughout broadcasts of this WNBA season, the businesses concerned nonetheless cannot provide the self-bet. TCU guard Olivia Miles confronted no such drawback and is cashing in.

(Photograph by Harry How/Getty Photographs)

With the shot clock turned off within the WNBA’s countdown to Monday’s draft (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), Miles has the makings of a coup on the high spot. Many have been fast to show the No. 1 honor to nationwide champions Lauren Betts and/or Azzi Fudd, and even worldwide sensation Awa Fam, however Miles‘ final miles have prolonged the dialog.

„I believe the flexibility that I convey is second to none, and I say that with confidence as a result of I do know and belief in my sport and myself,“ Miles mentioned as a number of potential headlining picks spoke throughout their keep at The Luxurious Assortment Lodge Manhattan Midtown. „I believe you will not discover a higher participant who makes the individuals round them higher. Finally, it is out of my arms. I can solely marketing campaign and petition for myself, however I believe the movie and my teammates, for those who have been to ask them to talk, speaks for itself.“

Miles within the Metroplex

The highest choose likewise belongs to the metroplex, because the Dallas Wings are selecting first for the second straight season. Whether or not the Wings choose so as to add one other ball-heavy level guard subsequent to Paige Bueckers may dominate the ultimate 48 hours earlier than the draft, however Miles also needs to draw consideration from different lottery individuals, together with the Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics, and Chicago Sky, in addition to enlargement yields Toronto Tempo and Portland Fireplace.

Like many March movers, Miles discovered the gas for a leap on the NCAA Match bracket. The previous Notre Dame rep averaged 19 factors, 9.8 rebounds, and 9.0 assists within the Horned Frogs‘ event quartet, the output headlined by a 28-10-8 exhibiting within the Candy 16 overcome Virginia.

The Horned Frogs fell to nationwide runner-up South Carolina within the regional closing however Fort Price historical past is nonetheless on the road: Miles will probably change into the fourth or fifth Frog to have her title written on a WNBA Draft card (teammate Marta Suárez can also be anticipated to hitch the ranks) and it is doable she’ll be the very best TCU alumna chosen (Sandora Irvin, third to Phoenix in 2005, holds the present file).

Miles Leads the Class in an Necessary Metric

Miles admitted that she will’t management such a destiny, however she had full energy to find out which lottery batch she’d be part of: Miles was extensively seen as an early choose in final yr’s draft, even after a knee damage saved her out of Notre Dame’s event run. She opted for the portal fairly than the choose, heading south to Fort Price after it reached its first girls’s regional closing in program historical past.

Vindication is probably the one metric that is not measured by draft scouts, however Miles may nicely stand because the undisputed chief among the many 36 chosen on Monday.

„I am unable to even describe what this yr did for me in phrases,“ Miles mentioned, additionally happy by the truth that her first WNBA contract will likely be completed underneath the phrases of a brand new collective bargaining settlement. „I believe mentally, bodily, emotionally, the whole lot that I used to be capable of develop and to do and to domesticate out of myself get extra potential out of myself earlier than I used to be a professional [was huge]. I believe I am extra prepared. However this yr has paid off in so many alternative methods, and I am unable to look forward to it to translate.“

It proved to be the fitting choice for causes far past the luck of the Irish, as she saved the Massive 12 Participant of the 12 months honor in Fort Price after Hailey Van Lith gained it final time round. The {hardware} was useful sufficient, however it was the happiness that maybe pushed Miles excessive.

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Miles‘ Draft Future Awaits

Following the aforementioned win over Virginia, Miles proclaimed that her Texas tour allowed her to get her „pleasure again“ (h/t Charlotte Gibson, ESPN). She elaborated on the feeling in New York, additionally emphasizing the significance of sustaining it along with her professional debut looming.

„The power and the movement of the sport, and simply being current in basketball, is. It is like chaos. It is the whole lot taking place all of sudden,“ Miles mentioned in her definition. „However discovering your pleasure and discovering the movement of the sport and throwing a dime and like feeling on high of the world, or making a 3-point shot and successful a sport and never wanting it to be over. I believe that is the enjoyment that I used to be searching for and in the end doing with everybody round me.

„I felt like I wanted to search out that, so I did not view basketball as a job or a chore,“ Miles continued. „Whenever you view your job as a job, I really feel like that is when you must query what you are doing, particularly if it is a sport that we play for enjoyable, and in the end join for enjoyable. Sustaining that via, clearly, it is now extra of a enterprise than ever earlier than. It may be essential only for me to take pleasure in and play my greatest.“

Her a part of the discount is taken care of, and now she merely sits again and waits for her draft night time future. Irrespective of the place she’s chosen, Miles promised that her eventual chooser can be getting „a high-IQ participant who’s going to make their teammates higher.“

„I believe that it is uncommon to discover a true level guard in our sport, and so I used to be simply excited to convey that again to the league, convey that old style type again to the league,“ Miles mentioned. „No matter group picks me up, it is a perception, and it is an appreciation, as a result of they need me on their group and so they wish to spend money on me. Wherever I am going, honestly, I simply desire a group to consider in me and have me as their level guard. I will be honored both manner.“

Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags

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