Projected as high as the No. 2 pick behind UConn\u2019s Paige Bueckers<\/a>, the decision looked simple from the outside.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Sports Roundup<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI really had to sit there and [think] am I going pro? Am I going back to college?\u201d Miles said in a recent interview with The Dallas Morning News.<\/p>\n She weighed her decorated career at Notre Dame and elite draft stock against late-season injuries, areas she still wanted to develop and the uncertainty surrounding ongoing WNBA CBA negotiations.<\/p>\n \u201cI sat down and talked with my family, my agents and figured that it would be best to take another year just to be confident in my body and my game \u2014 grow mentally, spiritually, physically on and off the court,\u201d she said. \u201cUltimately, college sports is popping right now. I\u2019m not in a rush.\u201d<\/p>\n Miles made the shocking decision to delay her professional career and return to college for a fifth and final season. She entered the portal and transferred to TCU<\/a>, where she\u2019s averaging 19.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.9 steals. She has led the No. 17 Horned Frogs<\/a> to a 21-4 record, poised to again compete for the Big 12 title and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs face No. 12 Baylor on the road Thursday evening. <\/p>\n The window of opportunity in professional sports \u2014 and especially, in a league with as few roster spots as the WNBA \u2014 is small. The New Jersey native already had the r\u00e9sum\u00e9 many WNBA hopefuls dream of, as a former 5-star recruit, two-time AP All-American and three-time first-team All-ACC honoree.<\/p>\n But in the NIL era, the pull of college \u2014 especially at a rising program like TCU \u2014 proved strong enough to wait.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it took just incredible guts to bet on yourself when you were already going to be a top-three pick,\u201d TCU head coach Mark Campbell said. \u201cTo have the humble enough spirit to say, \u2018I need to keep getting better. I need to keep growing,\u2019 I think that says a lot that she was willing to bet on herself and do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Texas Christian University Horned Frogs guard Olivia Miles (5) splits Houston Cougars guard Kierra Merchant (2) and forward Jorynn Ross (26) as she drove to the basket during the first half at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, February 4, 2026.<\/p>\n Tom Fox \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n Willing to wait<\/p>\n Campbell\u2019s ability to attract elite talent is well-established<\/a>.<\/p>\n While an assistant coach at Oregon, Campbell was responsible for signing three top 10 picks in the 2020 WNBA draft in Sabrina Ionescu (No. 1), former Dallas Wings player Satou Sabally<\/a> (No. 2) and Ruthy Hebard (No. 8). He also assembled the No. 1 overall recruiting class in 2020, a group that included five McDonald\u2019s All-Americans.<\/p>\n At TCU, he\u2019s been just as aggressive in the portal, landing Hailey Van Lith \u2014 the No. 11 pick in last year\u2019s WNBA draft<\/a> \u2014 and center Sedona Prince in consecutive seasons.<\/p>\n Miles\u2019 commitment took it a step further.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had a good track record of taking someone for seven to nine months, implementing them and allowing them to blossom,\u201d Campbell said. \u201c[Our system] is simple. It\u2019s a pro system. My goal is to attract WNBA talent and then allow them to be developed here.\u201d<\/p>\n Recruiting Miles started back when she was in high school, and Campbell was at Oregon. He remembers her games being lined with college coaches, and while Oregon wasn\u2019t the right fit for the young star at the time, he made an initial introduction that would pay off later.<\/p>\n A player of Miles\u2019 caliber gets to handpick her destination when entering the portal. TCU\u2019s rapid rise caught her attention \u2014 from two conference wins before Campbell\u2019s arrival to an Elite Eight run last season \u2014 as did its spread pick-and-roll offense. <\/p>\n After watching players like Van Lith reach a new level in Campbell\u2019s program, she felt her game could do the same.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew that I\u2019d be well taken care of here and be able to showcase my game, and it would only help me as a player,\u201d Miles said.<\/p>\n That\u2019s proven to be true. She\u2019s improved her points average by 4.3 points from last season while adding a rebound and an assist per game. She\u2019s recorded four triple-doubles this season, bringing her career total to 10. The only players with more in NCAA history are Sabrina Ionescu (23) and Caitlin Clark (17). <\/p>\n Ahead of April\u2019s draft, she\u2019s still a projected top-five pick. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s her body of work and consistency. I just know how hard it is. It\u2019s like being a quarterback. To deliver night after night, it\u2019s hard, it\u2019s challenging, it\u2019s exhausting, and she\u2019s done it,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cThe fact that we get to coach her, it\u2019s a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n Texas Christian University Horned Frogs guard Olivia Miles (5) drives to the lane past Houston Cougars guard TK Pitts (0) during the first half at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, February 4, 2026.<\/p>\n Tom Fox \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n A new appeal for college<\/p>\n Miles probably wouldn\u2019t have thought twice about leaving for the WNBA five years ago, before the NCAA started allowing athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. A decision like hers became even easier after the House settlement allowed university athletic programs to start sharing revenue with their athletes directly beginning last summer.<\/p>\n TCU\u2019s roster reflects that shift. Miles is one of 10 newcomers, joined by Marta Suarez (Cal) and Carla Silva (Kentucky). All five starters began their careers elsewhere.<\/p>\n \u201cI love that the players are compensated. They should be,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cInstead of having to go to the WNBA, if you want to stay in college you\u2019re going to be taken care of. It\u2019s neat that at TCU we\u2019ve been supported at a level that allows us to attract really good players.\u201d<\/p>\n For Miles, finances weren\u2019t the sole driver \u2014 but they mattered.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s become a business, and especially for women,\u201d she said. \u201cTo get a jumpstart on earnings so you don\u2019t have to play as long, you don\u2019t have to go overseas and risk your body and risk your life, ultimately, as we\u2019ve seen situations like Brittney Griner \u2026 obviously, you want to get ahead of that as much as you can. <\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t my primary objective. But it\u2019s definitely a consideration and definitely something you want to set yourself and your family as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n TCU\u2019s coaches and players look to make the most of the little time they have left with Miles. While they say her game has grown regardless, the team hopes they can send her to the draft with a Big 12 title and a national title added to her already glowing r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s one of the most impactful players in college basketball, if not the most impactful player,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cIt was just a perfect match. She\u2019s continued to elevate what we\u2019ve been building.\u201d<\/p>\n Twitter\/X: @Lassimak<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/U6DX6B533BGTPIIEOMRELSLVLA.jpg\")
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