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Fans Debate Whether Olivia Miles Should Be Taken Before Paige Bueckers in WNBA Draft

Some NCAA fans believe Notre Dame's Olivia Miles should be the 2025 WNBA Draft's No. 1 pick over UConn's Paige Bueckers.

Grant Young

Dec 15, 2024; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) passes the ball against the Georgetown Hoyas in the first half at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Dec 15, 2024; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) passes the ball against the Georgetown Hoyas in the first half at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

On December 29, Notre Dame senior guard Olivia Miles became the first major conference player to record consecutive triple-doubles since former Iowa Hawkeyes icon Caitlin Clark when Miles scored 11 points, tallied 14 assists, and grabbed 10 rebounds against Virginia.

This is just the most recent standout stat line in a fantastic season for Miles, who has asserted herself as one of college basketball's best players. In fact, her form this year has some fans wondering whether she's more deserving of the No. 1 pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft instead of UConn Huskies superstar Paige Bueckers, who is expected to be the Dallas Wings' selection.

X user @MadamMaziel expressed this sentiment on Sunday by writing, "Dallas Wings ….gotta take Olivia Miles, I’m sorry they can let Paige go to Los Angeles…..I know the Wings probably still gonna take Paige….but I would strongly consider taking Olivia Miles you couldn’t go wrong……"

Several other fans have said similar things. One of which is X user @mikeaalen112735, who replied to a graphic of Miles becoming the third player in Notre Dame history (along with Jewell Loyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith) to reach 1,000 points, 500 assists, and 500 rebounds and wrote, "Is it time to start the Olivia miles might be the top pick talks ?? A point guard like this doesn’t come often . She’s like a modern day magic Johnson ."

"Listen… I don’t wanna be rude AT ALL.
I like Paige bueckers, I think she’s a great player, but imo if Notre dame keep going far and if Olivia miles keeps going strong like this…

"100% she should be the No.1 draft pick in the wnba draft," added another fan.

Other fans don't share this stance, and believe there's no shot Bueckers will be anything but the top pick.

X user @BizerkJerk conveyed as much when writing, "her draft stock has gone down from the first pick to the first pick," about Bueckers.

While Bueckers may not be as dominant this season as some would have expected, there's no question she's still an elite talent and will almost certainly receive the No. 1 pick, if only because of her superstardom.

But perhaps Miles could become the biggest steal in next year's draft for whoever selects her.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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