(photo courtesy University of Notre Dame athletics)

A report from ESPN’s Shams Charania says that Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles will forego the WNBA Draft and is instead entering her name into the NCAA transfer portal.

The move is shocking considering Miles was projected to be the #2 pick in the WNBA Draft behind UConn’s Paige Bueckers, but it also may show how much money is available to college players now through NIL funds, particularly at schools without big-time football programs. Miles has already shown marketability, promoting brands such as Celsius and CVS.

The WNBA determines rookie salaries by draft position, with the top four picks earning a base salary of $78,831 in their first year.  A new collective bargaining agreement for the WNBA is expected to be negotiated before the 2026 season, which may be another reason Miles feels it’s a better business decision to wait to enter the league.

Of course, Notre Dame fans may wonder why Miles wouldn’t stay with the Irish. After missing all of the 2023-24 season with a knee injury, Miles returned this season, averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game for the Irish.  She was considered part of the “big three” along with sophomore Hannah Hidalgo and senior Sonia Citron.  Citron’s eligibility is done, and many Notre Dame fans were hoping for another year of Hidalgo and Miles together in the backcourt.

The Phillipsburg, New Jersey native came to Notre Dame as an early enrollee during the 2020-21 season. Miles already earned an undergraduate degree in political science with a minor in business economics in 2024. She is pursuing a master’s degree in nonprofit administration.