One of the most skilled female collegiate basketball athletes entered the transfer portal earlier this week.
Notre Dame Guard Olivia Miles – a three-time national standout and three-time finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award – will not be returning to South Bend, WNBA Draft this year. Instead, she is opting to stay in college for another season, but not with the Irish.
Miles, who celebrated her 22nd birthday in January, missed the entirety of last season while recovering from knee surgery, but this year she has returned in a significant way. Alongside averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game, she improved her shooting percentage by 18 points from her sophomore year, hitting 40.6% of her shots from long range this season. The New Jersey native was the sole player this season to average at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game while shooting over 40% from beyond the arc.
In short, Miles is among the most gifted players in the nation and she is the prime player available in the portal. Despite her abilities, Notre Dame never advanced past the Sweet 16 while she was on the team.
So let us assume it’s exciting.
Where is the best fit for Miles for the 2025-26 season? And with the proper environment, will Miles finally make it to the Final Four?
These are not informed predictions. I’m just speculating here.
TCU
One of Miles’ finalists during her high school recruitment was Oregon. At that time, Mark Campbell was an assistant with the Ducks and was beginning to earn recognition for developing guards like Sabrina Ionescu. At TCU, Haley Van Liss had the best statistical season of her career under Campbell’s mentorship. If Miles aims to elevate her game and prepare for a professional career, a season with the Horned Frogs – who already have Clara Silva in the portal – could be the ideal fit.
North Carolina
She nearly chose Princeton before Miles committed to Notre Dame as a high school athlete. She was mentored by Courtney Bangart at that time. “Had she not left, I would have chosen to go there,” Miles mentioned to ESPN in 2020. By then, Bangart had succeeded Sylvia Hatchell at Chapel Hill and had successfully guided the Tar Heels. This season, she has led the team to five consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, including two Sweet 16 outings. The backcourt duo of Miles with Renya Kelly and Lanny Grant, alongside the young frontcourt talent of Blanca Thomas and Sierra Toomey, as well as veteran India Niver, could advance the Tar Heels further in the NCAA Tournament.
UConn
There is a notable rivalry between them and Notre Dame. If UConn were to acquire Miles, it might not be wise for her to return to Purcell Pavilion again. However, teaming up with Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong could be quite thrilling and could pave the way for another Final Four run for UConn, right?
Maryland
Miles is a fiercely competitive athlete and could align well with the type of players who excel under Brenda Freese. The veteran Maryland coach has adapted within women’s college basketball, demonstrating her ability to construct teams via the transfer portal, recently adding seven new transfers in the last offseason and quickly molding a squad that reached the Sweet 16 this year. The combination of Miles and Bri McDaniel would create one of the nation’s top backcourts, and on paper, it would almost certainly feature other exceptional players around them.
Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights had a tough season this year. However, it’s notable that Miles hails from New Jersey. Rutgers assistant coach Washington was an aide at Notre Dame during her early years at South Bend. If Miles desires to return home and compete locally, she could assist the Scarlet Knights in making a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years.
