A lot of pressure comes with being TCU guard Olivia Miles. She probably felt it twofold Monday playing in the Coretta Scott King Classic at Prudential Center, a quick 20-minute drive from her Summit, N.J., hometown.
Miles wasn’t sure how many family members and friends she had in attendance. She heard them loud and clear, though, during starting lineups and when the Jumbotron aired a prerecorded video of Miles talking about the importance of Monday’s event.
But as TCU coach Mark Campbell said and her teammate Taylor Bigby repeated after Monday’s game, “We go as Liv goes.”
After No. 12 Ohio State stunned No. 9 TCU 71-69, Miles took blame for her team coming up short.
“Losses always hurt but there’s a silver lining somewhere,” Miles said. “Thought I played well — not well enough. Need to get my teammates more involved. I take full accountability because it starts and ends with me and I have to be better so I’m going to be better for this team and we’re all going to come together.”
Miles was three assists shy of what would’ve been her 11th career triple-double and fifth this season, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
The Horned Frogs look at Miles as their fearless leader, their do-it-all guard who they rely on to deliver night after night. They know she’s the top priority of everyone’s scouting report is to try and slow her down.
Miles embraces all that responsibility and more. The opportunity to be a leader is a big reason why she chose to come to TCU for her final year of college after spending the past five years at Notre Dame and why she’s projected to be a top three pick in the upcoming WNBA draft.
Campbell has coached some great college point guards over the years. He was an assistant at Oregon when Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu played there. Last season, he coached Hailey Van Lith and helped her rediscover her confidence.
Campbell sees shades of Ionescu in Miles’ game.
“Those two kids,” Campbell said, “they just impact winning.”
Miles’ teammates have grown accustomed to her flashy yet precise passes, her quick thinking and three-level scoring.
“It’s definitely a luxury,” Bigby said. “Liv really does make us go. And I’ve just gotten to get a feel for how she plays and just to be in the right spots at the right time while we’re on the court together.”
TCU’s offensive style — a dominant pick-and-roll system that mirrors those in the professional rankings — complements Miles’ skill set.
It’s a style built on trust, chemistry and awareness, with Miles as the conductor.
Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said the Horned Frogs are “the best team I’ve seen so far this year in terms of ball-screen offense.” The Buckeyes prepared for it yet Miles — with her elite passing skills and court vision — still found a way to burn them countless times, though Ohio State still managed to play well enough for the win.
Miles’ skill set forces opposing teams to make decisions as fast as her reads. She seems to be a step ahead of those around her.
McGuff said watching film on TCU took him back to when he was game-planning to play Iowa during Caitlin Clark’s reign of terror.
Miles is most dangerous when she’s playing in space. Campbell and his staff did a good job surrounding her with shooters and capable centers. But he’s been impressed with how quickly his team has developed chemistry with 10 new players on the roster.
Opposing guards see Miles as the standard.
“What she does is something you can’t teach,” Ohio State guard Jaloni Cambridge said. “She sees the court so well. She’s such a great point guard. And I mean what she’s been able to do over her career has been nothing short of amazing.”
Miles wasn’t satisfied with Monday’s outcome, but she commended her team for having hope and fighting even when TCU was down with 0.3 seconds left in regulation.
“That’s what you need in March,” Miles said. “It’s a little bit of luck but it’s also the resilience and the competitiveness that gets you over that hump. And we just didn’t have enough of that today.”
