Women’s College Hoops Spotlight: Olivia Miles Fuels TCU’s Big 12 Title Chase

Olivia Miles raised eyebrows when she decided to transfer from Notre Dame to TCU after last season. The star guard was widely projected as a WNBA lottery pick. If she was going to leave South Bend, the assumption was she’d turn pro. And if she wasn’t heading to the WNBA, why leave a program where she’d become the face of it? Miles, alongside Hannah Hidalgo, powered Notre Dame to a No. 1 ranking at one point last season, forming one of the most dangerous backcourts in the country. But the year ended in disappointment. The Fighting Irish stumbled late and were bounced from the NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16 — by TCU, the program Miles would later join. Now, Miles is soaring with No. 11 TCU. She leads the Horned Frogs in scoring (20.3 points per game), assists and steals — and has them one win away from a Big 12 championship. Last weekend, Miles poured in 17 of her game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter to lead TCU to an 80-73 win over Iowa State. With the Horned Frogs trailing by 13 with 7:35 remaining, Miles ignited a stunning 25-4 run to close the game. The performance marked her fifth triple-double of the season — 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists — and extended TCU’s home winning streak to 41 games. Miles was named the Big 12 and national player of the week. [WELCOME, IOWA: Women’s NCAA Top 10, Bubble Team NET Rankings] TCU was once an afterthought in women’s college basketball. But in just three seasons, coach Mark Campbell has turned Fort Worth into a destination. Last year, the Horned Frogs reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. They earned a No. 2 seed, knocked off Notre Dame in the Sweet 16 and advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to Texas with a Final Four berth on the line. Campbell has been utilizing the transfer portal as effectively as anyone in the country. Just three seasons ago, TCU finished last in the Big 12 at 8-23 overall and 1-17 in conference play. A year ago, behind transfers Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince, the Horned Frogs surged to a No. 2 seed. This season, it’s Olivia Miles’ team. She’s on the mid-season top-20 John Wooden Award watch list, and she projects as a WNBA lottery pick in April. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has endured a frustrating season. The Irish fell out of the AP Top 25 in January, their first time being unranked since 2021. Hidalgo leads Notre Dame with 24.9 points per game, but the supporting cast hasn’t provided enough consistency.TCU closes the regular season on the road at Cincinnati before hosting No. 15 Baylor. A win against the Bearcats would secure a share of the Big 12 championship, which would be the program’s second straight and would make the Horned Frogs the first repeat as Big 12 champs within three seasons of ending in last place.