Senior point guard Olivia Miles leads the eighth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish while preparing for her future in the WNBA. Playing alongside her superstar teammate, Hannah Hidalgo (Hid-ALL-go), the Irish have championship aspirations thanks to their backcourt duo. With the goggles she wears in every game, Miles’ unique vision is a signature look whenever she plays. After missing last season with a Torn ACL, Miles has not let her injury deter her from her ultimate goals. As she continues to battle for a National Championship, she’s also using that opportunity to take her game to the next level.

Miles is known as a pass-first point guard who can also score. She also loves to have fun while being a competitor on the floor. With one year of eligibility remaining after this season, she has the chance to enter the 2025 WNBA Draft. Throughout her collegiate career, she has stayed true to her fun and competitive nature through all the ups and downs she experienced. Although her decision after this season remains uncertain, Miles reflected on how she wanted to be remembered as someone who left Notre Dame better than she found it.

“(I want to be) remembered as a winner, someone who came to work every day, did their job, poured into their teammates and poured into their school in general,” she said after their 73-64 win against Cal in the ACC Tournament. “I just want to leave this place better than I found it.”

Her impact on the community and her teammates, as well as her hard work, have contributed to the program’s success during her career. As Miles has worked to earn the opportunity to play in the WNBA, she’s learned from many mentors, including her head coach, Neile Ivey. She mentioned that her coach’s leadership and how to build winning habits are among the things she’s learned that can help her at the next level.

“(Ivey’s) leadership is something I’ve learned," Miles said. "Her ability to stay poised in any situation. She’s won at every level, and I’m learning those winning habits as well. There’s a lot of point guard stuff I’ve learned from her like what reads, what (plays) to call, how to move the ball and manage the game, and how to find my teammates.” 

Coach Ivey has had success as a former WNBA player and as an assistant coach at the college level and the NBA. She is passing her knowledge onto her star point guard as she prepares for the WNBA.

Although Miles has one year of eligibility left, she has given thought to how her skill set will translate to the WNBA. She mentioned how she could fit on any team, but also expressed her excitement on finding out where she can fit in.

“I feel like I could play wherever; that’s why I’m excited for the W because it’s a lot of space, a lot of movement, and a lot of great players,” Miles said. “I’m excited to be in that space and to see where I fit in.”

She expressed the amount of talent in the WNBA and how excited she is to compete with them, and the advice received from a current player and former Irish star. After their win against Miami on February 21st, Miles and her Notre Dame teammates were greeted in the locker room by many alumni, like Marina Mabrey (MAY-Bree), Arike Ogunbowale (uh-REE-kay OH-goon-buh-WALL-ay), and Skylar Diggins-Smith. When she reflected on that day, Miles mentioned that Diggins-Smith taught her how to develop pro habits at the collegiate level and how that will serve them at the next level.

“(Diggins-Smith) is great at being a pro. What a lot of colleges lack is beyond-college perspectives. We are playing in college, but we’re also playing to be great pros as well,” Miles said. “She teaches us how to have pro habits in college, and it’s helped us so much. She’s good at giving us pro perspectives that can also translate to where we are (now).”

Miles learning pro habits while she is still playing collegiately is a great asset for her transition to the WNBA, especially learning from one of the best point guards in the league.

Across all levels of women’s basketball, there are signature looks from the star players of the game. A’ja Wilson has the one-leg sleeve, Juju Watkins has her head bun, and Paige Bueckers (BECK-ERS) has her braided hair. Miles is known for playing with goggles on, which help with her vision on the court. Her signature look was celebrated on her senior day, where an entire gym filled with Irish fans wore goggles to support their unique point guard. Knowing her goggles were worn by fans exclusively for her, Miles reflected on how thankful she was for the support from her faithful fans.

“(The fan support) means the world. That’s why I felt so emotional on my senior night. The thought of potentially leaving people who I know love and care about me a lot is a different feeling,” She said. “(The fans) watched me get hurt and supported me while I was hurt and wished me all the best and that I could come back sooner. (They are) people who genuinely support me, so I’m very blessed.”

Through the ups and downs of her career, Miles has proven her game can translate to the league while she leads Notre Dame to a National Championship this season.