Notre Dame star Olivia Miles returns to college basketball with new perspective

Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles didn’t know who she was without basketball, and the thought never crossed her mind that she’d have to find out.

But that changed for Miles on Feb. 26, 2023. in the final regular-season game of the season, her knee buckled, and she suffered a torn ACL that forced her to watch the NCAA Tournament from the sidelines.

The junior guard was playing at an elite level then, averaging 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 2.1 steals.

It’ll wind up being 617 days in between games when she takes the court again on Nov. 4 in the season-opener against Mercyhurst, but Miles has learned plenty in her extended layoff. 

“I think realizing that basketball wasn’t everything for me was the hardest part,” Miles told On3. “I think before hurting myself, I ate, slept and breathed basketball. It was everything. It was what defined me – it was my identity. I think having to take time away to develop myself and understand that I had parts of me to fill that basketball once did, that was the hardest part. It was just learning myself all over again.” 

It’s been a long and challenging road to recovery. Miles had to miss the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons – and it wasn’t easy adjusting her mindset and maintaining a positive attitude.

“I knew right away, and I knew what was ahead of me at that time,” Miles told On3.

Olivia Miles discovered who she was off court

She was cleared to return in January of last season but opted to take her time to completely recover. It was one of the most difficult decisions she’s had to make, especially since the Irish were still thriving with freshman Hannah Hidalgo leading the way.

It was hard to swallow the pill of knowing she’d have to sit on the bench, but she knew it was right. 

“I just decided that it’d be best for me and my knee to just heal and take the rest of the season off,” Miles said. “I didn’t want to waste a year when I didn’t really know how I was going to perform and how I was going to feel at the end of the day. So, I just took my time.” 

That time allowed her to discover who she was off the court. She started meditating and journaling – two things she never understood before trying them herself. 

“Finding my spirituality, meditation and journaling were big for me,” Miles said. “It was just writing down what I was feeling, because at times you can’t really put it into words. You have to really think about it and write it down. Talking to family could only do so much. I really had to center myself and center my feelings…I learned that [basketball] wasn’t all of me and that I have other parts of life that I could enjoy and be happy about as well, even if basketball were to never come back.”

Olivia Miles sees basketball differently now

Miles sat on the sideline as a cheerleader for the team, but also as a coaching mind to aid head coach Niele Ivey. 

“She was kind of like my little assistant coach,” Ivey said. “You see the game from a different perspective when you’re out. So, I really tried to keep her engaged in that way, valuing her opinion and allowing her to be like, ‘Hey coach, I see this’. She was trying to make an impact in any way that she could. I thought she did a really good job of staying positive, even though it was really hard having to sit and watch.” 

But when the time came for her to get back on the court and start practicing in February, she was ready. 

“I never felt so much joy just throwing a ball out of bounds,” Miles said. “I didn’t care that it was a negative thing in basketball – it was just me with a ball in my hands.”

The Fighting Irish reached the Sweet Sixteen in both seasons that Miles was injured, but they’re aiming for a national title this time around – and they believe that, this year, they have the talent to do it. 

Notre Dame has championship aspirations

Sophomore Hidalgo was named an AP First Team All-American after a rookie season where she averaged 22.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.6 steals. 

Now, Hidalgo and Miles can team up on the court for the first time – which is a scary proposition for the rest of the ACC. 

“It’s going to be a different dynamic that I don’t think the women’s game has ever seen,” Ivey told On3. “They’re both so dynamic in general, and the way that they play is just explosive. They’re so creative. Both visionaries on the court, but they can also score and they’re great managing and reading defenses. I think it’s going to be magical.” 

“I’ve never played with a guard like Olivia, so it’s going to be exciting…,” Hidalgo told On3. “It’s going to be such a scary backcourt. I’m excited. I’m excited to see how we’re going to play off each other and just kind of learning her and how she plays.”

Miles watched from the sidelines as Hidalgo grew into an All-American talent last season. But while Miles wasn’t able to grow on the court, she grew as a person. 

“I realized that my self worth and my self validation came from outside things, and I didn’t realize that I didn’t do the work to validate myself,” Miles said. “That was the biggest thing I learned. We all do it in some way, shape or form…my form was just basketball, where I was I was looking for everyone else to tell me I was good, to tell me I was the best. I really took that time to validate myself, go back to my past and heal in any ways that I needed to.”