Olivia Miles leaves no doubt about her return next season to Notre Dame WBB
She’ll be back. Just not this week.
Notre Dame women’s basketball coach NIele Ivey confirmed Wednesday that junior guard Olivia Miles will return to the Irish program next season for her senior year with the Irish, dousing speculation that the All-American could be headed for the transfer portal after ND’s season ends.
Miles has missed the entire season to date recovering from a knee injury suffered in the team’s 2023 regular-season finale against Louisville.
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“I spoke with Liv. She gave me permission to say this.” Ivey said Wednesday in her weekly meeting with the local media. “She will be back. I can’t wait. I’m so excited. She’s killing it. She’s crushing it. She looks fantastic.
“Her comeback is going to be moving, is going to be incredible for everybody to see what she’s doing and how she’s going to be. Everybody get your tickets right now.”
For next year.
MIles won’t be a surprise addition to Notre Dame’s roster for the ACC Tournament, which tipped off Wednesday afternoon in Greensboro, N.C. As the No. 4 seed in that tourney, the 12th-ranked Irish (23-6) have a double-bye into Friday’s quarterfinals.
Notre Dame will face either 22nd-ranked and fifth-seeded Louisville (23-8) or 13th-seeded Boston College (14-18) in the first quarterfinal of the day, at 11 a.m. EST. The Eagles eliminated No. 12 seed Clemson, 85-72, in a first-round matchup on Wednesday.
The Irish beat Louisville, 74-58, at home on Sunday. They were set to fly to Greensboro in the early evening on Wednesday.
“Momentum is everything,” Ivey said of her team’s five-game winning streak, “and I’m really grateful that we’re peaking at the right time. I feel like our team is really locked in. They understand the goals. They’re doing a great job of practicing, but also of just being focused and ready.
“I feel like the last five games — especially the last two, playing against ranked opponents — have been just incredible performances. It’s really propelled us this week and I think it’s going to propel us, I think, into the tournament.
“You know it’s March, It’s crazy, you have to be ready and you have to play your best game for 40 minutes.”
The 5-foot-10 Phillipsburg, N.J, product should give the Irish plenty of momentum next season. MIles in 2023 led Notre Dame in rebounds per game (7.2), assists (6.9) and steals (2.1). Her assist total was sixth nationally. She was second on ND in scoring (14.3) and earned first-team All-ACC and second-team AP All-America honors.
ND’s eligible returnees include freshman Hannah Hidalgo, the ACC Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-ACC selection, as well as All-ACC second-teamers Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld.
The only players with expiring eligibility on the Notre Dame roster are guards Anna DeWolfe and Jenna Brown, the latter of whom has missed the entire season with a knee injury, and reserve forward Becky Obinma.
Several others, including Westbeld, are seniors academically but have eligibility remaining. None of them have yet publicly announced their plans for next season.
Notre Dame signed the nation’s top-rated center prospect and No. 5 player overall, Kate Koval, in November. The 6-5 Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran High senior and Ukraine native has been named a McDonald’s and Naismith All-American.
ACC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Results/Schedule
Wednesday Through Sunday at Greensboro, N.C.
Wednesday
#13 Boston College 85,. #12 Clemson 72
#15 Pitt vs. #10 Georgia Tech | 3:30 p.m. | ACCN
#14 Wake Forest vs. #11 Virginia | 6:30 p.m. | ACCN
Thursday
#13 Boston College vs. #5 Louisville | 11 a.m. | ACCN
#9 Miami vs. #8 North Carolina | 1:30 p.m. | ACCN
Game 2 Winner vs. #7 Duke | 5 p.m. | ACCN
Game 3 Winner vs. #6 Florida State | 7:30 p.m. | ACCN
Friday
Game 4 Winner vs. #4 Notre Dame | 11 a.m. | ACCN
Game 5 Winner vs. #1 Virginia Tech | 1:30 p.m. | ACCN
Game 6 Winner vs. #2 NC State | 5 p.m. | ACCN
Game 7 Winner vs. #3 Syracuse | 7:30 p.m. | ACCN
Saturday
Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner | Noon | ACCN
Game 10 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner | 2:30 p.m. | ACCN
Sunday
Championship Game | 1 p.m. | ESPN
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