Miles was broadly thought of a lottery prospect on this yr’s class. In ESPN’s most recent 2025 WNBA mock draft, senior author Michael Voepel had the Storm choosing Miles at No. 2 total.
“Miles stands out for her scoring, playmaking and 3-point accuracy,” Voepel wrote.
The 2024-25 second-team Related Press All-America choice averaged a career-best 15.4 factors on 48.3/40.6/79 capturing splits. Miles averaged 2.1 threes on 5.3 makes an attempt per recreation, serving to information the Irish to the Candy 16 of the NCAA Match.
The thought of a participant of Miles’ caliber forgoing the WNBA Draft for an additional yr in faculty would have appeared ludicrous within the pre-NIL (title, picture, likeness) period.
Nonetheless, with gamers in a position to signal sponsorship offers — and the proposed landmark Home vs. NCAA settlement paving the way in which for faculties to pay athletes straight — it may very well be a sound monetary determination.
Whereas Miles — and all different gamers with the potential to show professional — would make extra within the WNBA than within the estimated NCAA income share, her determination to attend till the 2026 draft may work in her favor.
Per Spotrac, the 2025 WNBA rookie scale begins at $78,831 in Yr 1 for the highest 4 picks and lasts 4 years at $348,198.
According to NCAA revenue sharing and NIL estimates, girls’s faculty basketball gamers will earn a mean of $16,447 subsequent season based mostly on a workforce working funds of $225,254.
However a looming WNBA labor dispute makes staying in faculty extra attractive.
In October 2024, the WNBA gamers’ union opted out of the present collective bargaining settlement (CBA) because it seeks to reap the advantages of the league’s elevated recognition. Final July, the WNBA signed a lucrative 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal with Disney, Amazon and NBCUniversal.
By ready a yr to show professional, the Notre Dame star may see a extra substantial rookie wage. It is a strong plan, and now WNBA groups should alter theirs.
