Olivia Miles, 22, shocked the basketball community this spring when she turned down a near-certain top-three selection in the 2025 WNBA Draft to play one more year of college ball.
Instead of returning to Notre Dame, where she became a national standout, the star guard entered the transfer portal and committed to TCU, a program steadily gaining momentum. Miles has now opened up about the real reasons behind the decision, finally shedding light on the personal and competitive motivations that fueled her unexpected move.
Why Did Olivia Miles Make the Unexpected Transfer From Notre Dame to TCU?
Olivia Miles’ decision this spring caught nearly everyone off guard. The 22-year-old guard, widely projected as a top-three selection in the 2025 WNBA Draft, turned down a guaranteed professional future to play one more year of college basketball. But the bigger surprise wasn’t her return to the NCAA; it was her choice to leave Notre Dame for TCU.
After a recent Horned Frogs practice, Miles finally addressed what led to her move.
“I think my main motivation was just to be a year further removed from my knee injury,” she said. “Just gain more confidence mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually too. And just, you know, feel more ready to be a pro. And I felt like I could do that here in a pro-style system. I get to really focus on basketball here. I’ve gotten my degrees out the way. So I’m just really in a system that’s catered to me and, you know, my strengths.”
Miles’ extra year of eligibility came after she missed the 2023-24 season due to an ACL injury suffered late in the prior campaign. She came back strong for Notre Dame in 2024-25, starting all 34 games and averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.6 rebounds.
Her performance earned her second-team Associated Press All-America honors and positioned her as a possible No. 2 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft.
Instead, she’s now the centerpiece of a TCU team that enters this season with historic momentum. The Horned Frogs were voted No. 1 in the Big 12 preseason poll for the first time ever, receiving 10 of 16 first-place votes from league coaches. Iowa State, Baylor, and Oklahoma State followed, each collecting two votes.
TCU’s rise has been rapid under head coach Mark Campbell. Last season, the Frogs won the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles behind Hailey Van Lith, Sedona Prince, and Madison Conner. Van Lith, a former Louisville standout, was selected in Chicago’s first round of the WNBA Draft, while Conner went in the third round to Seattle.
Now, Miles steps into the spotlight as TCU’s preseason newcomer of the year, just as Van Lith did in 2024 before claiming Big 12 Player of the Year honors. With her experience, leadership, and health restored, Miles’ transfer not only reshapes TCU’s championship hopes but also gives her one more year to prepare for the professional stage on her own terms.