No. 2 prospect Olivia Miles enters transfer portal instead of declaring for WNBA Draft

Notre Dame senior and No. 2 WNBA draft prospect Olivia Miles will not be returning to the Irish... but she also will not be declaring for the draft either. In a bombshell report by ESPN's Shams Charania, he revealed Miles will use her remaining year of NCAA eligibility instead of heading to the WNBA, but will also be entering the transfer portal out of Notre Dame.

Both parts of the news are shocking — Miles was expected to go No. 2 overall in the draft, behind UConn phenom Paige Bueckers. This would have sent her to the Seattle Storm, who traded for the lottery pick from the LA Sparks in a three-way deal to send Jewell Loyd to Las Vegas and Kelsey Plum to LA. With the Storm, Miles would have had the chance to play behind Skylar Diggins-Smith and with a team that made the playoffs just last year.

Her not being ready to go professional is extremely valid, but the second gut punch of her leaving Notre Dame rocked fans Monday Night. Miles spent four years with the Irish, even coming back after recovering from an ACL tear (the same injury Juju Watkins just suffered) to go for a National Championship with Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron. Notre Dame has made the past four Sweet Sixteens, but even with the triple-threat back court of Miles, Hidalgo and Citron, could not make the Elite Eight this year, losing to TCU.

Olivia Miles could make a lot more money by staying in school one more year

The speculation on Miles's reasoning for both not declaring for the WNBA Draft and leaving Notre Dame has been all over the map. One big point fans are making online is that the WNBA's new CBA will go into affect next year, meaning any rookies signed this year will be on the current CBA's rookie salaries, while next year's class will sign the new deals. There was also speculation about Miles's relationships with her teammates, as well as the ankle injury she suffered in the first round of March Madness. Miles sprained her ankle late in that first game, still in the game late in the fourth despite Notre Dame having a significant lead on their opponent.

Miles herself has not spoken up, since the report was broken by Charania Monday. Talia Goodman confirmed Tuesday morning that Miles is officially listed in the transfer portal.

Miles joins some big names hitting the transfer portal this week, including Florida State's Ta'Niya Latson, who lead the country in points per game this season with 25.2 per game. Other big players intending to move schools so far are Sa’Myah Smith out of LSU, Taliah Scott out of Auburn (who has already committed to Baylor), and Utah's Gianna Kneepkens, per Talia Goodman.

More names will trickle out as March Madness heads into the Final Four this weekend. After March 31st, players eligible for the WNBA Draft and still playing in the tournament have 48 hours from when their team finishes to renounce their NCAA eligibility and declare. They do not have to enter the transfer portal or commit to any schools in that timeframe, though.

There is currently no confirmed reports on where Olivia Miles will land.