Notre Dame Coach Provides Olivia Miles Injury Update Ahead of Michigan Matchup
The No. 3 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team cruised to an easy 106-54 win over Stephen F. Austin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
While everybody expected Notre Dame to win this game with ease, it was great to see the team's offense flowing again after what has been a brutal past month or so from a team that was once ranked No. 1 in the country.
However, it was not all smooth sailing on Friday, as star guard Olivia Miles went down to the floor clutching her left ankle at one point in the game.
Sophomore superstar Hannah Hidalgo gets most of the attention when it comes to the Fighting Irish. But those who've seen Notre Dame play know that Miles is equally as (if not more) important than Hidalgo when it comes to their team producing on offense.
Therefore, if Miles had to miss the rest of this tournament with an injury, it would be a brutal blow to a team that has a real chance of winning a national championship.
But head coach Niele Ivey delivered some (relatively) positive news on Miles' status after the game, according to an X post from ESPN's Courtney Cronin.
"Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said that Olivia Miles stepped on someone's foot, which led to her left ankle injury. When asked whether Miles will be able to play Sunday, Ivey said she hadn't been told yet or received information from trainers but Miles told her that she's 'OK.'
"Ivey: 'She's going to be OK but she's got to get treatment,'" Cronin wrote in the post.
Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said that Olivia Miles stepped on someone's foot, which led to her left ankle injury. When asked whether Miles will be able to play Sunday, Ivey said she hadn't been told yet or received information from trainers but Miles told her that she's "OK."…
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) March 21, 2025
It sounds like Miles avoided the worst with this injury. Time will tell whether Miles is back at 100% for what's sure to be a tough second-round game against No. 6 seeded Michigan.
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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.