SACRAMENTO, Calif.

There are few things TCU guard Olivia Miles hasn’t accomplished during her illustrious college career.

The graduate student has been an All-American multiple times, won conference championships at Notre Dame and TCU and reached the Sweet 16 multiple times. But one thing she had never done before was reach the Elite Eight.

That changed Saturday night as the Big 12 Player of the Year picked up her first win in the Sweet 16 by leading No. 3 seed TCU to a 79-69 win over No. 10 seed Virginia on Saturday. Miles had 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to pick up her first win in the second weekend of the tournament.

For a player who turned down the chance to be a top-five pick in last year’s WNBA draft, this career achievement meant the world.

“Yes! I’m finally out of the Sweet 16,” an excited Miles said. “I’m so happy about that. But it’s just another bonus for what I wanted to do here.”

The performance against the Cavaliers was one of Miles’ best as a Horned Frog, trailing only her 40-point outburst against Baylor on Feb. 12.

Miles and graduate student forward Marta Suarez scored or assisted on every point in the Sweet 16 win. Miles had six assists in the third quarter as TCU turned a 36-35 deficit at the half into a 59-47 lead entering the fourth quarter.

It was a signature performance from Miles with no-look passes, effortless layups and her signature stepback jumper. Even with the pressure mounting on her and TCU, it was clear how much fun she was having on the court, and finding that feeling was a major reason she picked coach Mark Campbell and the Horned Frogs in the offseason after deciding to leave Notre Dame.

“Ultimately I wanted to my find my joy back, and that’s very broad,” Miles said. “It can happen in a lot of different ways, but I feel like the people around me have helped me to love basketball again and compete at a high level, hold people accountable and challenge people, and be vulnerable with people I know love me, support me and care for me.

“These girls have been able to do that, and in turn it’s helped me with my own confidence, and that’s all I can ask for.”

Miles finding her joy sounds similar to what Hailey Van Lith experienced in her lone season in Fort Worth last year. Van Lith openly shared how she struggled with her mental health, but her time at TCU helped her find her light on and off the court.

For another high-profile star to experience that same feeling under Campbell speaks to the culture he’s building in his program.

“We are very intentional on trying to find the right people,” Campbell said. “There’s a basketball piece to making sure they fit with what we’re trying to do with our scheme. But then there’s the human element that’s a lot harder to figure out and get right. And we work really, really hard to try to find the right young people that are going to fit our culture, our environment.

“So both Olivia and Hailey have truly blossomed. I think both of them got their love of the game of basketball back. But I think it’s our village. … And we allow young people to be themselves, and for Olivia to be the best version of Olivia, and for Marta Suarez to figure out what’s the best version of Marta Suarez and allow her to be herself.”

Some programs have built their identity on hard coaching or amassing the most talent possible, and while Campbell isn’t soft on his players, he’s opted to create a culture of joy that’s led to TCU signing Van Lith and Miles. And those recruiting wins were catalysts for both Elite Eight runs.

Miles is a brilliant basketball player, comparable to a painter or actor with her showmanship on the court and a mind that operates at a different level than most other athletes.

“Olivia, there’s maybe five players on the planet that can do what she does, men or women,” Campbell said. “Her basketball vision, her IQ, her understanding of the game is magical. It’s a gift that she has. It’s been really fun as a coach to try and figure out how to put her in position and space the court and give her the freedom to go do what she does. That’s just been really special.”

For some coaches, it would be in their nature to reel in some of the flashy passes and stepback shots, but Campbell empowered Miles to be herself on and off the court.

“Just being around coaches growing up that have allowed me to be me and be creative,” Miles said of her flair on the court. “Luckily I haven’t ran into a coach that says girls can’t do one-handed layups or girls can’t make one-armed passes. I’ve heard of players that have had to put themselves in a box because they’re not able to be creative.

“Thank goodness I was around people that always inspired me to try new things. … It translates because I practice it so much, and it’s like second nature. [Campbell] allows me to do it most of the time.”

With her joy and love for the game back, Miles finally reached new heights in her career, and that joy she plays with could be the key to TCU upsetting South Carolina to reach the Final Four.

This story was originally published March 28, 2026 at 11:17 PM.

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