Shams Charania announced this week that Notre Dame’s star guard, Olivia Miles, is opting out of entering the WNBA draft and deciding to enter the transfer portal. This decision comes off of the Fighting Irish’s loss to TCU in the Sweet 16 during March Madness. Miles was expected to enter the 2025 WNBA Draft, widely considered one of the top picks. Instead, Miles’ transfer portal announcement is now breaking news throughout the WNBA and women’s NCAA basketball.
Projected 2025 WNBA Draft Top Pick Opts For Transfer Portal
Olivia Miles is Headed to the Transfer Portal
The guaranteed base salary for the top-four picks in the WNBA is $76,536.
The top-four women’s college basketball players averaged $1.1 million in NIL earnings.
Until the WNBA significantly reforms their salary structures, there is no reason for a top prospect to declare early. https://t.co/Z8Sn4r9hh0
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 1, 2025
There are two levels to this news about Miles. First, she is no longer going to declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft. Secondly, she is also planning to leave Notre Dame and enter the transfer portal. Over her last four seasons in the NCAA, she has become one of the best players in the nation.
Miles averaged 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 48.3% from the field and 40.6% from three this season. Her season came as an extremely pleasant surprise after she sustained a torn ACL in 2023. Her bounce back has been noted by scouts and most around the WNBA were expecting her skills to project well into the pros.
The 2025 WNBA Draft is Shaken Up
Many believed that Miles was headed to be the number two overall pick in the upcoming WNBA draft. Even though she had a clear path to becoming a top pick, shockingly, Miles believed that staying in college basketball would be more beneficial to her career than entering the pros. Now, WNBA teams will need to adjust their big boards. One of the best players in college basketball won’t be available to be drafted.
Many believe that a big reason that Miles is deciding not to enter the WNBA for another year of college hoops is because of the money. NIL money has changed everything when it comes to playing in college compared to joining the pros. College athletes can now earn substantial income through sponsorships and endorsements, often rivaling or exceeding rookie salaries in professional leagues like the WNBA.
NIL vs WNBA Pay
The guaranteed base salary for the top four picks in the WNBA is only $76,536. For professional sports, that’s not a lot of money. On the other hand, has allowed college basketball players to earn even more. The top four women’s college basketball NIL earners averaged over $1,000,000 in NIL earnings this season.
That gap makes Miles’s decision to stay in the NCAA seem like a no-brainer. Moreover, Miles’ entry into the transfer portal makes her one of the most sought-after players in women’s college basketball. Depending on where she lands, she could put herself in the position to make it much further than the Sweet 16 and put a lot more sponsorship money in her pocket.
WNBA fans will now have to wait another season to see Miles in professional women’s basketball. However, one lucky NCAA team will be adding one of the best players in women’s college basketball to their team this offseason. It will be interesting to see where Miles lands.
Photo credit: © Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
