The WNBA All-Star game featured three rookies rolling the dice for their teams. The 2025 WNBA draft’s top picks were in the mix with the league’s elite players. Paige Bueckers did it. Washington duo Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen did it, too. Another possible rookie name missing from the list was Olivia Miles.
Projected to be one of the top guards in the 2025 WNBA draft, everyone had their eyes set on the 22-year-old star. But just before the final list, she withdrew her name and decided to continue her college career. Recently, the Notre Dame player gave her reasons for the decision.
Olivia Miles Shared Reasons For Opting Out Of WNBA Draft
Eligible Players get 48 hours after declaring for the draft to confirm their decision. The New Jersey-born star was in two minds and finally decided to skip the 2025 draft. In a recent interview with Associated Press, she narrated her reasons for opting out of the chance to enter the ‘W’.
“I think it was a mixture of me listening to my body and what I needed. And also just another year to develop, you know, be in a system where it’ll favor me and I’ll have great teammates and a great coach around me. I’ll have a lot of fun, so I’m just very excited for that. I knew it was going to cause a lot of commotion. But I ultimately was selfish one time with my career,” Miles told The Associated Press.
Along with her idea to improve her skills, she mentioned that she was talking to many prestigious schools about possibly joining them and showcasing her abilities.
She also mentioned the commercial reasons for her decision. Landing better NIL deals and even a higher salary in her rookie season, with the current CBA terms being discussed, were also considered, but they were not the most important reasons.
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Olivia Miles Could Be Top Pick In 2026 WNBA Draft
The five-star recruit out of Blair Academy made her mark in college basketball in her first season. She was the first freshman to record a triple-double in an NCAA tournament. Her career graph grew exponentially, though a few injuries halted her progress. The guard peaked during the 2024-25 season with her best shooting stats and offensive gameplay.
With the red flag exception due to ACL injury in the 2023-24 season, the Irish guard has one more collegiate year before entering the pro league. She is currently joining the TCU program and is looking to win her first NCAA championship under coach Mark Campbell.
Even though she forgoes the 2025 WNBA draft, this playmaker will be a great asset to most teams in the upcoming season. Her college teammate, Citron, landed the third overall pick in the league. Considering two new franchises, Portland and Toronto, are entering the league, the talented star would be a higher pick in the upcoming draft.
Also Read: Paige Bueckers Shares Honest Feelings About Her First WNBA All-Star Experience