Notre Dame Guard Olivia Miles Climbs In National Women's Basketball Player Ranking

Fighting Irish guard Olivia Miles has gained momentum in the most recent media vote of the top women's basketball players in the nation

Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles has moved up on ESPN’s rankings of the top 25 women’s college basketball players in the nation. The sophomore point guard was No. 8 in the preseason rankings, which is voted on by a panel of a panel of 18 broadcasters, analysts and writers who cover the sport for ESPN, but she has moved to No. 4 on the current list, which was voted on seven weeks into the season.

Hall of Fame former Notre Dame women’s head coach Muffet McGraw is one of the 18 panelists who take part in the independent voting. The others are Katie Barnes, Charlie Creme, Aja Ellison, Kelly Gramlich, Dan Hughes, Sean Hurd, Andrea Lloyd, Rebecca Lobo, Alexa Philippou, Roy Philpott, Steffi Sorensen, Mike Thibault, Christy Thomaskutty, M.A. Voepel, Holly Warlick, Brooke Weisbrod and Stephanie White.

Here’s what Hurd wrote about Miles for the top 25 ranking:

"Miles has unequivocally staked her claim as one of the best talents in college basketball. She's a do-it-all player for Notre Dame, with an ability to impact a contest through multiple facets of the game. She is one of just two players in the country averaging at least 15 points, 7.0 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. The conductor for the No. 5 Fighting Irish, Miles plays with a style and a sense of ease that forces observers to hang onto her every dribble. On Dec. 10, she notched her third career triple-double, making her Notre Dame's all-time program leader.”

Miles is the first player in Notre Dame women’s basketball history to have three triple doubles and she has done it as a sophomore.

"Just shows you where she is at this point in her career,” Irish head coach Niele Ivey recently told Irish Breakdown. "The sky’s the limit for that one. Like you said, I think on any given night she can go off and have phenomenal numbers.”

The three players ranked ahead of Miles in the poll South Carolina center Aliyah Boston, Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark and UConn guard Azzi Fudd. Fudd joins Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley (No. 7) and Maryland’s Diamond Miller (No. 11) as one of three players in the top 11 who Notre Dame has faced this season. There are five other players on the top 25 list who the Irish will face at some point this season.

Miles is averaging team-highs of 15.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. Her assist total currently ranks No. 3 in the nation.

Fellow Fighting Irish sophomore guard Sonia Citron also received at least one vote in the balloting. 

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