Notre Dame star makes shocking WNBA Draft decision

Miles was widely considered a lottery prospect in this year's class. In ESPN's most recent 2025 WNBA mock draft, senior writer Michael Voepel had the Storm selecting Miles at No. 2 overall.

"Miles stands out for her scoring, playmaking and 3-point accuracy," Voepel wrote.  

The 2024-25 second-team Associated Press All-America selection averaged a career-best 15.4 points on 48.3/40.6/79 shooting splits. Miles averaged 2.1 threes on 5.3 attempts per game, helping guide the Irish to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

The idea of a player of Miles' caliber forgoing the WNBA Draft for another year in college would have seemed ludicrous in the pre-NIL (name, image, likeness) era. 

However, with players able to sign sponsorship deals — and the proposed landmark House vs. NCAA settlement paving the way for colleges to pay athletes directly — it could be a sound financial decision.

While Miles — and all other players with the potential to turn pro — would make more in the WNBA than in the estimated NCAA revenue share, her decision to wait until the 2026 draft might work in her favor.

Per Spotrac, the 2025 WNBA rookie scale starts at $78,831 in Year 1 for the top four picks and lasts four years at $348,198.

According to NCAA revenue sharing and NIL estimates, women's college basketball players will earn an average of $16,447 next season based on a team operating budget of $225,254.

But a looming WNBA labor dispute makes staying in college more enticing.

In October 2024, the WNBA players' union opted out of the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) as it seeks to reap the benefits of the league's increased popularity. Last July, the WNBA signed a lucrative 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal with Disney, Amazon and NBCUniversal.

By waiting a year to turn pro, the Notre Dame star might see a more substantial rookie wage. It's a solid plan, and now WNBA teams will have to alter theirs.