Olivia Miles Returns to Texas in Lynx Vs Wings Clash
Olivia Miles goes back to Texas for lynx vs wings on Thursday night at College Park Center in Arlington, and the Lynx rookie will do it less than a year after her Texas stop at TCU helped push her toward the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA draft. The game is about 25 minutes from Fort Worth, where she spent one season that changed her path.
College Park Center And TCU
Miles said before the game that the short drive from TCU makes the night feel personal. “[The game] is like 25 minutes from TCU, so I’m excited to see everyone. … Just a cool place to be, and obviously near people I love.”
That Texas season gave her more than a local connection. Miles said draft night that “it’s life stuff that I got better at, mental and spiritual things that I needed to work on and confidence and believing in myself — things that will carry me for the longevity of my career.” She chose one more year of college basketball after her senior season at Notre Dame, then averaged 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game at TCU.
Olivia Miles And The Draft
The Lynx had a route to Miles that started ahead of the 2024 season, when they traded for the right to swap spots with the Chicago Sky in the first round of the 2026 draft. That move mattered because Miles had been expected to go in the 2025 draft after Paige Bueckers went No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings.
Reeve said after the draft that “there was other factors in college sports now.” She added, “I’m sure thankful she did.” The coach also described Miles as a point guard with “generational” passing ability.
Wings, Lynx, And Familiar Faces
The matchup carries another Texas thread. Miles helped TCU reach a second consecutive trip to the Elite Eight, and her Texas return comes about 25 minutes from campus, where she built a following that will now have a nearby road game to circle.
She also meets a Wings roster with more familiar names. Former Lynx forwards Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard signed million-dollar contracts with Dallas in April, while Liatu King, her former Notre Dame teammate and a developmental player for the Lynx, said, “I’ve got to have my hands ready, because [Miles] could be looking this way and pass the ball the other way.”
Miles has already shown the kind of line that can change a game, scoring 21 points with eight assists, two blocks and two steals in her WNBA debut. Now the first Texas trip of her pro career puts that start back in the region where her college year at TCU helped sharpen the player Minnesota drafted No. 2 overall.
