Report: Notre Dame star Olivia Miles to forgo WNBA draft, enter transfer portal

Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles will forgo entering the WNBA Draft and instead enter the NCAA transfer portal for her fifth season of college basketball, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday. Miles was the projected No. 2 pick in the draft according to ESPN.

Miles put up 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game this past season across 33 minutes per game. She was named first team All-ACC as well as to the All-ACC Tournament team. She improved her 3-point shooting from 22.8% last season to 40.6% this season.

It’s unclear exactly what played into Miles’ decision to return to college, but some have speculated it has something to do with the low salary in the WNBA compared to the the NIL opportunities in college. Last year’s No. 1 pick, Caitlin Clark, made $76,535 in the first year of her contract.

“It just changes every day. I love college, Miles said after Notre Dame’s Sweet 16 loss Saturday. “I think I’ve outgrown it a little bit, though, so that makes my decision tougher to stay. It’s comfortable, a place where you have security.

“The W … the volatility is up and down. So I don’t know. I’m deciding between a bunch of factors.”

The WNBA Players Association chose to opt out he current collective bargaining agreement at the end of the 2025 WNBA season. Lottery picks in 2025 will make $78,831 in their first season and $348,198 over the course of their four-year deal.

When the new CBA is in place for the 2026 season, however, the rookie scale deals are expected to be much higher, likely starting in the low six figures as a rookie. It is reported that Miles could potentially make an extra $100,000-plus over her first four seasons by waiting to turn pro in 2026. 

Notre Dame is coming off of an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen and will surely miss Olivia Miles for the upcoming season. Seeing her back with Hannah Hidalgo would have made the Fighting Irish a title contender.

But whichever team ends up getting her will have a key piece to make a run next year. As for her WNBA future, she’ll likely still be a lottery pick in 2026. You can keep up with other moves in the women’s basketball portal via On3’s transfer portal tracker.