Olivia Miles’ decision to skip WNBA Draft pays off after new CBA deal: College stars react

FORT WORT, TX — Olivia Miles triumphantly pumped her fist at the mention of the WNBA’s new CBA deal. "I was getting nervous there for a little bit," Miles said on Friday after dropping a triple-double in TCU’s 86-40 blowout win over No. 14 UC San Diego. "Just grateful that the players were able to get what they deserved and get in the fight," Miles added. "It's been a long-winded back and forth between the (WNBA and WNBPA), but I'm just glad that we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. That means the new people coming into the league have a good foundation to start off on." Despite being a projected lottery pick, Miles bypassed the 2025 WNBA Draft to cash in on her fifth year of college eligibility and enter the NCAA transfer portal. Although some called her decision to join TCU "dumb," she recalled, Miles now looks like a genius. "I can't blame (the critics). What I left on the table seemed stupid and seemed like, 'What is she doing?" Miles recalled on March 21. "But I knew deep in my heart that I needed one more year to be ready... This year has paid off for me in ways that I can't even describe." When asked if the decision felt like a risk at the time, Miles didn't hesitate: "To me, no. To the outside world, yes." Contrary to naysayers' beliefs, transferring to TCU panned out well. Miles has had a career-best year at TCU as the Horned Frogs prepare for a second-round matchup against Washington. Meanwhile, the WNBA reached a new CBA that raises minimum salaries from $66,079 in 2025 to nearly $300,000 in 2026. As the projected No. 2 overall pick in USA TODAY's latest WNBA mock draft, Miles stands to make much more. "It's just a win for women and it's a precedent set and moving forward it'll only get better," Miles said of the new CBA. "It'll only grow and it means that women's basketball, women's sports in general is headed in the right place." Miles said the new deal also means, "Money!" "I found my joy back, my love for the game and I found a sisterhood and family that I'll have forever," Miles said. "I've grown in my leadership, I've grown in my game. Obviously I'm having a career year across the board, but I've grown in just trusting myself and knowing that I could play at a high level. And I didn't quite think I was there last year or ready enough to be a pro at that moment, but now I feel ready." Miles isn't the only player to benefit from an extra year. South Carolina guard Raven Johnson had the option to forgo her last year of eligibility and declare for the draft, but she returned for another year under head coach Dawn Staley. Johnson went on to set career-highs in points, assists, minutes and field-goal percentage. "Good thing you came back, Raven," head coach Dawn Staley said. "It's lucrative.” “They really don't understand what's happening, but what's happening is incredibly historic, right?” Staley added, before turning to her players. “When you enter into the league, you're going to make probably 100 times, 75 times more than someone that was 30 years ago, 10 years ago, five years ago.” LSU senior guard Flau'jae Johnson said she grew nervous as CBA negotiations between the league and players' union stretched across 17 months. Like many fans, Johnson questioned if there would even be a 2026 season. That uncertainty grew as players voted in December to authorize the WNBPA's executive committee to call a strike when necessary. "I was like 'Damn. I hope they don't strike on my rookie year.' I was hoping, the women and the players get what we deserve and that the league and the players would come to something that's agreeable to both," said Johnson, who is projected to be the No. 7 pick in USA TODAY's latest mock draft. "And they did." Johnson said the "transformational" CBA wouldn't be possible without the trailblazers before her, like LSU alumni and assistant coach Seimone Augustus, whom Johnson said she personally thanked. Johnson added with a laugh, "I'm glad they were able to come to an agreement. I'm fixing to get paid." "I'm happy to reap the benefits and be a part of it...I just hope that it gets better and better for the younger girls that's coming after me," Johnson said March 21. "That's what's it all about. I hope that I can come make an impact so that I can turn it up some more and so it can just get keep growing. It's just everyone doing they're part, and it's just dope ... One day someone's going to be able to reap the benefits of what I do." Rori Harmon 'very happy' for new deal Texas guard Rori Harmon said she's "super grateful" for the new deal. "That is amazing," Harmon said. "I'm really glad that those players and everyone that was involved in that fought for what they wanted. (It) makes it easier for not only them, to but for us players who do want to play in the league or the next level. That's really great, I'm very happy for that." Texas forward Madison Booker said Harmon is someone she's looked up to during their time together and told USA TODAY Sports that "any W team would love to have" Harmon on their roster. "The standard she has for herself on defense especially, I don't think anybody else in the country has that standard," Booker said. "She wants to guard the best player... she's literally a point guard. Point God. I would say, honestly, she could do anything on the court. She can get your team going. She can play defense and she just don't get herself going, but she has a team going. That's the impact she has as a player." Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.