2025 WNBA Off-Season

[GoChips20]

What do yall think of Olivia Miles as a prospect? I LOVE her game, and as a junior I thought she was at the top of the second tier of PGs below Paige/Caitlin. To me the question is whether the three-point shot is true (it still looks weird, but she hit 40% on volume) and possibly overall athleticism.

Not an MVP ceiling, but with the right draw, she could be trusted to run a team from day one if necessary. I think she would have gone #2 or #3 this year and is reliably a lottery pick next.

 

[YKCornelius]

What do yall think of Olivia Miles as a prospect? I LOVE her game, and as a junior I thought she was at the top of the second tier of PGs below Paige/Caitlin. To me the question is whether the three-point shot is true (it still looks weird, but she hit 40% on volume) and possibly overall athleticism.

Not an MVP ceiling, but with the right draw, she could be trusted to run a team from day one if necessary. I think she would have gone #2 or #3 this year and is reliably a lottery pick next.

GC20, this is probably not going to go over well with a lot of folks, but I am not smitten on how Olivia Miles projects at the pro level. The college game will mask a lot of the shortcomings of a player's game, but the pro game will expose them all.

First of all, her man-to-man defense is weak. For her entire tenure at ND, Olivia never had to defend against the other team's best scorer, in large part due to Sonia Citron. Even so, she never exhibited the necessary quickness to keep in front of whomever she was defending. Swiping at the ball, trying to take charges, and trying to block shots from behind with her long arms after her opponent blows by her is OM's defensive MO when playing man-to-man. It looks like she studied defense at the School of Ogunbowale.

As harsh as this might sound, I also question her physical toughness. I think she purposefully shied away from contact both on offense and defense during her time at ND, which is/was a big contrast to past recent Irish guards (Jackie Young, Arike, all the Mabrys, Skylar, Kayla, Jewell). Granted she was out for a year battling injury, but I was surprised when she returned last year without spending more time in the gym building upper body strength. Hopefully she went to the gym a lot this summer and enters her final year a lot stronger.

Last but not least, her speed and stamina are concerns, IMHO. She has great court vision and an inherent feel for the game, but I don't recall ever seeing her go full speed transitioning up and down the court. Certainly not in her games against the Huskies.

Olivia is a beautiful, fun-to-watch college player. I think she will do very well at TCU this season - and I am certainly rooting for her to do so. I have serious reservations about what waits for her after graduation. Methinks she will benefit greatly from going overseas to work on the aspects of her game that were glossed over in college. That said, the good news is all of these areas can be improved before next year's draft. The bad news is the clock's ticking....

I am curious as to whether others - especially ND fans - had/have similar thoughts....

 

[bballnut90]

What do yall think of Olivia Miles as a prospect? I LOVE her game, and as a junior I thought she was at the top of the second tier of PGs below Paige/Caitlin. To me the question is whether the three-point shot is true (it still looks weird, but she hit 40% on volume) and possibly overall athleticism.

Not an MVP ceiling, but with the right draw, she could be trusted to run a team from day one if necessary. I think she would have gone #2 or #3 this year and is reliably a lottery pick next.

I think she’s the best PG prospect in a long time aside from CC/PB. She brings good size to the position at 5-10 and is a phenomenal passer with great court vision. Defense, shooting, etc can be developed but I think physical traits and court vision are comparably unteachable.

She’s a very good scorer from the PG position and has improved her 3pt shot considerably even if it looks a little funky. She’ll improve and should be a high lottery pick IMO.

I think people are sleeping too hard on both her and Flaujae Johnson. Flaujae’s game has Kahleah Copper 2.0 written all over it and she’ll be one of the best athletes in the league from day 1. She’s also an absolute workhorse who has improved immensely each year in Baton Rouge. Tremendous upside there.

 

[Reypl21]

GC20, this is probably not going to go over well with a lot of folks, but I am not smitten on how Olivia Miles projects at the pro level. The college game will mask a lot of the shortcomings of a player's game, but the pro game will expose them all.

First of all, her man-to-man defense is weak. For her entire tenure at ND, Olivia never had to defend against the other team's best scorer, in large part due to Sonia Citron. Even so, she never exhibited the necessary quickness to keep in front of whomever she was defending. Swiping at the ball, trying to take charges, and trying to block shots from behind with her long arms after her opponent blows by her is OM's defensive MO when playing man-to-man. It looks like she studied defense at the School of Ogunbowale.

As harsh as this might sound, I also question her physical toughness. I think she purposefully shied away from contact both on offense and defense during her time at ND, which is/was a big contrast to past recent Irish guards (Jackie Young, Arike, all the Mabrys, Skylar, Kayla, Jewell). Granted she was out for a year battling injury, but I was surprised when she returned last year without spending more time in the gym building upper body strength. Hopefully she went to the gym a lot this summer and enters her final year a lot stronger.

Last but not least, her speed and stamina are concerns, IMHO. She has great court vision and an inherent feel for the game, but I don't recall ever seeing her go full speed transitioning up and down the court. Certainly not in her games against the Huskies.

Olivia is a beautiful, fun-to-watch college player. I think she will do very well at TCU this season - and I am certainly rooting for her to do so. I have serious reservations about what waits for her after graduation. Methinks she will benefit greatly from going overseas to work on the aspects of her game that were glossed over in college. That said, the good news is all of these areas can be improved before next year's draft. The bad news is the clock's ticking....

I am curious as to whether others - especially ND fans - had/have similar thoughts....

I can agree with this. Her defense was really really bad. She has some off ball instincts where she can get some steals and blocks. But her on-ball is really poor.
It'll be interesting if that improves. I remember her first couple of seasons I thought she had potential to be good defender. She did come off an injury last year. But when you play next to Hannah it really contrasts her defensive effort level.

 

[cancontent]

This doesn't sound good. Not much specifics as to what Fenerbache believes to be their reason to make this claim. Just a guess that it could be related to Malonga's recent surgery(??).

 

[Dillon77]

GC20, this is probably not going to go over well with a lot of folks, but I am not smitten on how Olivia Miles projects at the pro level. The college game will mask a lot of the shortcomings of a player's game, but the pro game will expose them all.

First of all, her man-to-man defense is weak. For her entire tenure at ND, Olivia never had to defend against the other team's best scorer, in large part due to Sonia Citron. Even so, she never exhibited the necessary quickness to keep in front of whomever she was defending. Swiping at the ball, trying to take charges, and trying to block shots from behind with her long arms after her opponent blows by her is OM's defensive MO when playing man-to-man. It looks like she studied defense at the School of Ogunbowale.

As harsh as this might sound, I also question her physical toughness. I think she purposefully shied away from contact both on offense and defense during her time at ND, which is/was a big contrast to past recent Irish guards (Jackie Young, Arike, all the Mabrys, Skylar, Kayla, Jewell). Granted she was out for a year battling injury, but I was surprised when she returned last year without spending more time in the gym building upper body strength. Hopefully she went to the gym a lot this summer and enters her final year a lot stronger.

Last but not least, her speed and stamina are concerns, IMHO. She has great court vision and an inherent feel for the game, but I don't recall ever seeing her go full speed transitioning up and down the court. Certainly not in her games against the Huskies.

Olivia is a beautiful, fun-to-watch college player. I think she will do very well at TCU this season - and I am certainly rooting for her to do so. I have serious reservations about what waits for her after graduation. Methinks she will benefit greatly from going overseas to work on the aspects of her game that were glossed over in college. That said, the good news is all of these areas can be improved before next year's draft. The bad news is the clock's ticking....

I am curious as to whether others - especially ND fans - had/have similar thoughts....

As someone who has watched virtually every of Miles' collegiate games (as well as the aforementioned Ogunbowale, I've got a few thoughts on this;

- I think Miles is a good athlete. As a high schooler, she was probably good enough to play collegiate soccer, as were Ogunbowale (there's that name again) and Sonia Citron. As such, she has the stamina. In her early years (prior to the ACL), she and Citron rarely came out of the game. Now, as @Reypl21 brought up, she may have been affected by the ACL. First year back in action rarely sees an athlete back at 100%, so I'll be interested in how she looks at TCU.

Is she fast? Compared to whom? Hidalgo would win most 60-yard dashes against anyone and Citron would probably be a star 800 meter runner. Does she bolt down court like Hannah? No, but that's not what her forte is: her strength, as pointed out, is to run the fast break. Her weapons: court vision and passing ability.

Now, I've got a pet phrase called "burst speed." It's the ability to make two or three steps count to gain whatever separation is necessary.
Miles uses a burst of acceleration when approaching the elbow, then takes it to the rack with that one-handed, underhand layup.

- Tough enough? She's averaged 6.0 rebounds per game to go along with 6.5 assists per game and 14.2 points per game. She's a stellar defensive rebounder and works at it. When ND has lost centers or forwards, she practically rebounded like a forward.

- Her weakness? Yup, defense. I'm not so sure it's a physical issue of lateral quickness (remember the soccer background). I think it's a bit of lack of effort or concern for that element of the game. This was an issue with Ogunbowale her senior year (after winning the national championship) and Muffet McGraw would take her out of games for a spell to bring the point home. Ivey waited too long to get on Miles's case last year and when she did yank her from time to time, it was often at inopportune moments in crucial games. Never should've gotten to that.

Miles needs to work on that to round out her calling card in the W.

Outside of that, she's should make a fine point guard, particularly on teams that feature up and down the court play and read and react half-court offenses.

 

[cancontent]

Interesting plot twist. Swipe to see the rest of the slides.

 

[YKCornelius]

As someone who has watched virtually every of Miles' collegiate games (as well as the aforementioned Ogunbowale, I've got a few thoughts on this;

- I think Miles is a good athlete. As a high schooler, she was probably good enough to play collegiate soccer, as were Ogunbowale (there's that name again) and Sonia Citron. As such, she has the stamina. In her early years (prior to the ACL), she and Citron rarely came out of the game. Now, as @Reypl21 brought up, she may have been affected by the ACL. First year back in action rarely sees an athlete back at 100%, so I'll be interested in how she looks at TCU.

Is she fast? Compared to whom? Hidalgo would win most 60-yard dashes against anyone and Citron would probably be a star 800 meter runner. Does she bolt down court like Hannah? No, but that's not what her forte is: her strength, as pointed out, is to run the fast break. Her weapons: court vision and passing ability.

Now, I've got a pet phrase called "burst speed." It's the ability to make two or three steps count to gain whatever separation is necessary.
Miles uses when approaching the elbow then taking it to the rack with that one-handed, underhand layup.

- Tough enough? She's averaged 6.0 rebounds per game to go along with 6.5 assists per game and 14.2 points per game. She's a stellar defensive rebounder and works at it. When ND has lost centers or forwards, she practically rebounded like a forward.

- Her weakness? Yup, defense. I'm not so sure it's a physical issue of lateral quickness (remember the soccer background). I think it's a bit of lack of effort or concern for that element of the game. This was an issue with Ogunbowale her senior year (after winning the national championship) and Muffet McGraw would take her out of games for a spell to bring the point home. Ivey waited too long to get on Miles's case last year and when she did yank her from time to time, it was often at inopportune moments. Never should've gotten to that.

Miles needs to work on that to round her calling card in the W.

Outside of that, she's should make a fine point guard, particularly on teams that feature up and down the court play and read and react half-court offenses.

Dillon, I appreciate your response and your assessment. A lot of salient points for sure. I would agree that any review of her collegiate stats to date gives the impression that she is doing everything asked of her, and therefore, on face value, one would be hard pressed to find fault with her game.

However, my impression is based on what I have been observing, not on the stat ledger. I question her physical toughness because it seemed that in every game she would take pains to avoid contact. This was a stark contrast to what I had come to expect from Irish guards like Skyler Diggins, Kayla McBride, Marina Mabrey and even Arike when she wore the ND jersey.

Rebounds as a validation of toughness? Meh. I don't see her impressive rebound totals as an indication that she was "battling for the boards" (my term). Rather they were a reflection of her wonderful innate awareness of the game which, among other gifts she possesses, included having a Dennis Rodman-like understanding of where missed outside shots were going to go. This ability complimented her skill as a facilitator of the Irish's transition game. Said differently, rather than be on the receiving end of Irish fast breaks, her forte was to initiate and facilitate them, for which defensive rebounds gathered away from the paint were her bread and butter.

I would also argue that if one is going to point at rebounds as a measure of physical toughness, then one would expect to see offensive rebounds support or refute any contention. In Olivia's case, she averaged just 0.5 offensive rebound per game her entire ND career. One offensive board every two games - for a starter averaging over 32 minutes per game. Hmmmm. Contrast her 0.3 orpg with her 5'6" backcourt mate's 1.5 orpg last year and it suggests something other than a desire by Olivia to mix it up.

I agree on your assessment and characterization of "burst speed", and at the college level I would not disagree that Olivia possesses the ability to dial it up at times during the game. But using burst speed to go from slow to fast at the college level is not the same as accelerating from fast to extremely fast at the pro level.

That last sentence pretty much characterizes my overall assessment of Olivia Miles - a great college player who has some unbelievable court skills that should translate well at the next level. But she also has some eyebrow-raising weaknesses that I hope she works on during her stay in Fort Worth. If she doesn't, then I suspect her time on the court next summer will be very limited.

Maybe she used some of her NIL money this summer to hire some professional WBB trainers, and therefore her renaissance with the Horned Frogs will make my impressions moot. I wouldn't mind if Olivia proves me off-base.

Thanks again for your thoughts. Good insight regarding a wonderful player.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Interesting plot twist. Swipe to see the rest of the slides.

Contrast what Silver actually said to the headline:
"I think share isn't the right way to look at it because there's so much more revenue in the NBA," Silver said on the "Today Show." "I think you should look at absolute numbers in terms of what they are making. They are going to get a big increase in this cycle of collective bargaining and they deserve it."

 

[cancontent]

Contrast what Silver actually said to the headline:
"I think share isn't the right way to look at it because there's so much more revenue in the NBA," Silver said on the "Today Show." "I think you should look at absolute numbers in terms of what they are making. They are going to get a big increase in this cycle of collective bargaining and they deserve it."

Then open the books and show everyone if he's that confident. The WNBPA has been on record stating that they haven't been provided with sufficient information to do their own analysis to trust the numbers the WNBA provided.

 

[Dillon77]

Her Hoops Stats Takes a Look at the Off-Season of the Other Semi-finalist: The Indiana Faver
Key Personnel Points:

Free agents:

• Uncoreable unrestricted free agent: Natasha Howard
• Unrestricted free agents: Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, Damiris Dantas, Sydney Colson, Brianna Turner, Aari McDonald
• Restricted free agent: Lexie Hall
• Reserved: Chloe Bibby

Under contract: Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, Makayla Timpson.

2026 draft picks: The Fever hold all their own 2026 picks and no extras.

Druthers (of mine):

• Makayla Timpson was a steal and is a keeper going forward. What vet(s) should be Fever keep to work with her? Probably not Howard at this stage in her career. Turner sat most of the regular season, then played quite a bit in the playoffs. Dantas?
• Lexie Hull seems like a lock to stay with Boston, Clark and Timpson. Cunningham?
• Camp outside Mitchell's abode and get the deal done.

2025-26 WNBA Offseason Guides: Indiana Fever

Our team-by-team guides reach Indiana, and break down how the Fever look heading into 2026

herhoopstats.substack.com

 

[Bigboote]

Interesting plot twist. Swipe to see the rest of the slides.

Yeah, I saw an article in the paper this morning and when I saw the quote about "let's not talk about revenue, just pay" my jaw dropped.

There's something almost pathological about their absolute unwavering desire not to open the books. Maybe they're not hiding anything, but they're sure acting like they have skeletons in there.

 

[cancontent]

Yeah, I saw an article in the paper this morning and when I saw the quote about "let's not talk about revenue, just pay" my jaw dropped.

There's something almost pathological about their absolute unwavering desire not to open the books. Maybe they're not hiding anything, but they're sure acting like they have skeletons in there.

I get the same vibe. It's understandable that the league doesn't want to tip their hand during negotiations, but the responses the league have offered leave a lot to be desired.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Yeah, I saw an article in the paper this morning and when I saw the quote about "let's not talk about revenue, just pay" my jaw dropped.

There's something almost pathological about their absolute unwavering desire not to open the books. Maybe they're not hiding anything, but they're sure acting like they have skeletons in there.

The part that annoys me is that there's no way they attract expansion team bids without sharing the revenue data with the bidders. (No one is dropping $250m on an expansion fee ALONE without a careful, league-wide examination of the books, year over year, for at least 5 years back.) So basically all the stakeholders but the players know what the actual revenue situation is. Kinda effed up if you ask me.

 

[darrell]

 

[cancontent]

Contrast what Silver actually said to the headline:
"I think share isn't the right way to look at it because there's so much more revenue in the NBA," Silver said on the "Today Show." "I think you should look at absolute numbers in terms of what they are making. They are going to get a big increase in this cycle of collective bargaining and they deserve it."

Then open the books and show everyone if he's that confident. The WNBPA has been on record stating that they haven't been provided with sufficient information to do their own analysis to trust the numbers the WNBA provided.

Topping up on this topic after reading Annie Costabile's article in Front Office Sports, here's a quote from the WNBPA's executive director regarding Silver's statements.

“What the league and teams are really trying to do is not only limit the cost of labor but also contain it through an artificial salary system that isn’t tied to the business the players are building in any real or meaningful way,” WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson told Front Office Sports in a statement. “You know it’s bad when the best they say they can do is more of the same: a fixed salary system and a separate revenue sharing plan that only includes a piece of a piece of the pie, and pays [the league] back first.”

If this is her response to Silver's comments, why shouldn't the players dissatisfied with the responses they're getting? Per the article, the revenue share the player would get would be from league earnings, provided they hit certain targets. The team earnings are excluded. Why? Obviously we'll never really know but it comes across shady to me.

Adam Silver Kicks Off Another Cycle of WNBA Labor Tension

"You know it’s bad when the best they say they can do is more of the same," the union's executive director said.

frontofficesports.com

 

[Dillon77]

Now, for the Finalists: Richard Cohen of Her Hoops Stats Previews the Phoenix Mercury's Off-Season
Key Personnel Points:

Free agents:

• Uncoreable unrestricted free agents: Kahleah Copper, DeWanna Bonner , Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, Sami Whitcomb
• Unrestricted free agents: Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, Sami Whitcomb

- Reserved: Natasha Mack, Kitija Laksa, Kathryn Westbeld, Lexi Held, Monique Akoa Makani, Kiana Williams (all reserved).

Under contract: Kalani Brown.

2026 Draft Picks: The Mercury have no first-round pick, but do have their own second and third-rounders.

Druthers:

• Will the Mercury core Alyssa Thomas or choose to do so with Satou Sabally? Thomas will be 34 before the next season and Sabally is much younger, but Thomas doesn't show any sign of slowing down on her stellar play from this season.
• Could Bonner -- Thomas' real-life partner -- retire or choose to stick around in Arizona? If so, Mercury will hope it's not for too much money because they probably want to bring back Copper and Sabally, to boot.

2025-26 WNBA Offseason Guides: Phoenix Mercury

After a promising season ended in defeat in the Finals, we detail where the Mercury stand heading into 2026

herhoopstats.substack.com

 

[Dillon77]

I've written this before, but Brondello has always struck me as a coach who prefers to have a core of veteran players. See her stints with the Mercury and Liberty, as well as the Opals in Australia. There's going to be a whole lot of developing going on in Toronto. Will she bring out her inner nurturer? And/or will the Toronto front office try to land a mixture of vets and players who have primarily been making hay outside of the W up to this point, a la the Valkyries? At least, she'll be living in very fine city.... 😎 😉

 

[cancontent]

I've written this before, but Brondello has always struck me as a coach who prefers to have a core of veteran players. See her stints with the Mercury and Liberty, as well as the Opals in Australia. There's going to be a whole lot of developing going on in Toronto. Will she bring out her inner nurturer? And/or will the Toronto front office try to land a mixture of vets and players who have primarily been making hay outside of the W up to this point, a la the Valkyries? At least, she'll be living in very fine city.... 😎 😉

My initial reaction to this is that the Tempo is looking to establish a foundation with an experienced coach. Brondello does well with veterans, however her experience in setting up a team could be one of the reasons the Tempo went in this direction.

Larry Tannenbaum is well connected in basketball circles thanks to his time with the Raptors and support of Canada Basketball. Can't see Toronto not doing their due diligence before making this move. Looking forward to seeing what comes next.

 

[GoChips20]

On its face Brondello seems like a solid, low-risk decision for Toronto. I think she’s much stronger at building culture and relationships with players than organizing elite talent on the court and the former is significantly more likely to be a relevant scenario for Toronto over the next few years

 

[WBBZen]

On its face Brondello seems like a solid, low-risk decision for Toronto. I think she’s much stronger at building culture and relationships with players than organizing elite talent on the court and the former is significantly more likely to be a relevant scenario for Toronto over the next few years

For an expansion team, bringing in a coach who can build a strong culture and build relationships is a great move. There's a lot said that she's not great at developing players, but an expansion team isn't necessarily all rookies. The Valks have a lot of vets for instance, and with this free agency market, they may be able to bring in some talent off the rip.

It does make me wonder who Dallas will peruse for HC. I like Nicki Collen, Jose Fernandez and Joseph Blair. I think Seattle will go with Briann January. Not sure about the Liberty.

 

[cancontent]

For an expansion team, bringing in a coach who can build a strong culture and build relationships is a great move. There's a lot said that she's not great at developing players, but an expansion team isn't necessarily all rookies. The Valks have a lot of vets for instance, and with this free agency market, they may be able to bring in some talent off the rip.

It does make me wonder who Dallas will peruse for HC. I like Nicki Collen, Jose Fernandez and Joseph Blair. I think Seattle will go with Briann January. Not sure about the Liberty.

Been thinking the same since Brondello was let go. When I try to think of possible options, my mind draws a blank. However, your comment about Jose Fernandez has piqued my curiosity.

The Smesko hire in Atlanta paid off for the Dream this season. Could Fernandez's style of play at USF work with a roster like the Liberty's, should they retain their core players? Just a wild guess on my part.

 

[azfan]

It does make me wonder who Dallas will peruse for HC. I like Nicki Collen, Jose Fernandez and Joseph Blair. I think Seattle will go with Briann January. Not sure about the Liberty.

This former Sun Sevil would be a great hire. She spent two years on the bench next to CTT

 

[darrell]

 

[Geew1992]

This is a great coaching choice!

 

[cancontent]

This is a great coaching choice!

Agreed. Have been a fan of Coach Fernandez for a while. He definitely deserves this opportunity.

 

[triaddukefan]

I see he is running from that tail whipping Duke was finna put on those Bulls this season. Can't blame him.

 

[Dillon77]

Last, Certainly Not Least, Richard Cohen of Her Hoops Stats Look at State of the Table for Las Vegas Aces
Key Personnel Points:

Free agents: Jewell Loyd
- Uncoreable unrestricted free agent: Jewell Loyd
- Unrestricted free agents: A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Kiah Stokes, Megan Gustafson, Dana Evans, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus
- Restricted free agents: NaLyssa Smith, Kierstan Bell

Under contract: Aaliyah Nye.

2026 draft picks: The Aces have no first round pick (traded to Seattle for Jewell Loyd) but they do have their own second- and third-rounders.

Druthers:

• Have to think A'ja Wilson will be priority 1 and 1A and, as such, will be cored if need be.
• Jackie Young should be right behind Wilson in signing pecking order, but Young could be the most desirable free agent this off-season and could command top dollar.
• Loyd, Evans will be brought back but only at the right salary. One might say the same for Chelsea Gray, but she'll be right behind Wilson and Young in the signing order. If Young goes elsewhere, she'll get what she wants from the Aces, imho.

2025-26 WNBA Offseason Guides: Las Vegas Aces

Our team-by-team guides finally reach the top of the tree, looking at where the 2025 champs stand heading into next season

herhoopstats.substack.com

 

[Dillon77]

This is a great coaching choice!

Agree. If I read correctly, he was the #2 choice last year. My guess is some calls from Dallas went to a certain cell phone in Storrs, CT., for a discussion. Also, Smesko's success in Atlanta had to have had a positive impact on GM Miller, as well.

 

[Geew1992]

Agree, If I read correctly, he was the #2 choice last year. My guess is a some calls went to a certain cell phone in Storrs, CT., for a discussion. Smesko's success have to had a positive impact on GM Miller, as well.

It would not surprise me at all