The South Carolina Gamecocks powered their way into the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Championship with a 78-52 win over the TCU Horned Frogs. With that win, one Senior Guard Raven Johnson continued her quest for the championship, while another top draft pick, Olivia Miles, wraps up her college career.
Miles defended her TCU move right from the start and delivered very memorable performances that would raise her WNBA draft pick position. But now, after the loss, she had nothing but emotional speech for the program she spent her final season at.
Olivia Miles Thankful For The Opportunity At TCU
As the 2025 WNBA draft approached, the former Notre Dame guard’s decision to forgo her eligibility and enter the transfer portal was shocking. Joining the exciting, more potent TCU side, the player mentioned that the gameplay suits her better.
While her run with the Horned Frogs ended with a devastating 26-point loss, the player was proud of her season and thanked coach Mark Campbell for the opportunity. In the post-game interview, she said, “It’s just a special place. You don’t really understand it till you are in it. But the people who impact me inspire. I will remember them forever, and I hope that they will remember us forever. I’m just grateful for the opportunity, I just wanna thank coach Mark for taking the chance on me.”
"I just wanna thank coach Mark for taking a chance on me." ❤️
— espnW (@espnW) March 31, 2026
Olivia Miles reflects on her time at TCU after falling just short of the Final Four. pic.twitter.com/ZkhqyANmmi
After her recruitment, coach Campbell announced that the player would run the offense as she would wish to, and she proved him right with a career-high 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds in the season, along with 6.6 assists.
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Moreover, Olivia Miles’ scoring surge at TCU is boosting her status as an elite 2026 WNBA draft prospect. But it’s interesting to see how her recent injury would impact her selection in the WNBA.
Olivia Miles’ Injury impacts TCU’s Loss
The TCU side matched the top-seeded South Carolina side till the third quarter, until the Gamecocks had a decisive 29-11 fourth-quarter run. Interestingly, Miles was out of action following an injury late in the third quarter. Moreover, forward Marta Suárez also left the court for a while due to injury.
TCU guard exited Elite Eight matchup after landing awkwardly on her right leg. She drove hard towards the paint late in the third quarter before flicking the ball over the outstretched hand of a defender and into the net. But she missed a perfect landing and was in discomfort for a while. Although she got herself out of the court, attendants looked after her for a while.
Olivia Miles left the court in the final minutes of Q3 in TCU-South Carolina with an apparent lower left leg injury. pic.twitter.com/WT6yMwAnqC
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 31, 2026
She returned to the action, but till then, Dawn Staley’s team had control of the game. Although the injury restricted her movements, she could recover in time for the WNBA training camps.