The peak of the WNBA 2025 concept experienced the main shock when Olivia Miles entered the transmission portal. Miles were assumed that he would be in the April proposal by selection No. 2 and probably fell down by not lower than the third, but instead decided to extend his college career, simply not to Notre Dame.
Although the era of the pandemic bonus year essentially ended in university basketball, because the eligible players had to be on the list during the 2020-21 season, which was when the current crop of seniors of the fourth year in high school was still playing for WNBA prospects. There are still medical Redshirts, so Miles can play another year because she missed the 2023-24 season with a torn ACL. In addition, the juniors who have achieved 22 years during the year of the design year have the opportunity to go for or stay at school.
Miles’ decision not only represents the emerging power of the agency for players in the women’s basketball landscape, but it is particularly interesting strictly from basketball considerations because it is loved by the evaluators of the WNBA talents. Former guardian Notre Dame was guaranteed to be a lottery selection, while the general managers called it the safest selection in the design for Paige Bueckers Uconn. Its massive improvement as a three -point shooter (24.6 percent before injury compared to 40.8 percent afterwards) was the point of reversal in combination with its already excellent easier as lead.
Theoretically, Miles’ shares have nowhere to go, but if her shooting does not remain consistent at this level. This suggests that when it is selected, it is not nearly as important as how much money can earn during the process, where it goes, and how her body feels after her injury to ACL.
The WNBA is currently negotiating a new deal on collective negotiations with the Association of Players, which could potentially triple individual salaries. Rather than locking up to a four -year contract for newcomers in a total of about $ 350,000, Miles could wait until he entered the league until 2026 and possibly obtain this number during the first two seasons. Agents advise university players across the country with another year of competence to stay at school and reap financial rewards CBA.
If Miles make a transfer decision in the next week, it could also ensure obligations of the name, image and form before the final hearing in the house v. NCAA. This is the last capping for unregulated “paying” with athletes before the Clearinghouse NCAA is evaluated. Given the status of Miles as a double all-American-unique multiple All-American who has ever entered the portal, Aneesah Morrow Lsu, who left Depaul-Miles, is probably playing in cash from teams.
It should be remembered that Miles’ external sponsorship is likely to remain with it when it changes professionally and completes its wnba salary. The teams will only apply to the university; So this is her last opportunity to pull in this particular stream of income.
Most WNBA executives did not give Miles’ health as concerns when submitting to the proposal because she suffered only one significant injury and seemed to be excellent during the 2024-25 season. But she said Athletic In Birmingham, he is not close to the place where he wants to be injured.
“My physical shape could be better,” Miles said. “This injury, it’s a long, long process. Even after you recover, I made the rest of the body caught up. I would say I’m not even 75 percent of the way.”
Transition from college to WNBA requires a certain level of trust not only in the player’s skills, but in their body. If Miles do not feel physically alone, it would not be the right time to play against adult women in the physical league. This is a similar calculation that the FUDD had to do. Junior Redshirt decided from the proposal of 2025 to return to Huskies, although he was also a projected first selection. Fudd barely played one full healthy season in Uconn and could become stronger before entering W.
Miles must also achieve more at the collegial level. She ended her season in Sweet 16, just as she has every season in Notre Dame, which was short, what the Irish hoped – who were included in the country on February 17th. In Hannah Hidalgo, there were always questions about adapting between Miles and another ball guard. Now Miles can find another team where the full -time point of time is a more returning talent. Although Miles returned, Notre Dame lost half of its rotation (Sonia lemon, Maddy Westbeld, Liatu King and Liza Karlen) and brought one Top-100 recruiting.
Flau’jae Johnson, Junior Eligible, said she wanted to make more victories than she left LSU, even though she was already a national champion.
“Once you taste the National Championship, you want more,” Johnson said after he lost in Eight. “And I feel that the national championship I had (like a newcomer), yeah, I was a big factor in it, but there were bigger factors. I want my own. Where I lead the team.”
Ta’niya Latson, who was all-American 2025 with Miles and Johnson, experienced enough individual awards in Florida. Instead of the WNBA concept, it also entered the portal and hit the repeated ceiling of the NCAA tournament with the first week with the seminols.
At the NCAA tournament, there will always be a draw that WNBA cannot match, and there are only so many years when players can participate in it. All of the above athletes were deprived of Postseason’s experience. Miles missed two tournaments, Fudd missed one and was sick during the other and Laton was injured during Postseason.
This is when Juju Watkins will have to consider when he returns from ACL injury. Rather than Go Pro in 2027, she could stay in college for the fifth year as a medical red shirt to return the time she lost, depending on what the USC had achieved before.
Miles’ decision does not exist in a vacuum. It is representative for all financial, medical and inheritance issues that women athletes confront at a time when they have more agencies than ever. The balance of power is changing and the universities and WNBA teams are now at the mercy of players.
(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
