“She imagines it and has options mapped out in her head … Good players react to the game; great players anticipate the game, but Olivia was the only player I’ve ever coached who would manipulate the game.
Miles is known for her elite passing – she’s drawn comparisons to Portugal’s Ticha Penicherio, who played in the WNBA for the Sacramento Monarchs – and she’s at her most fluid as a basketball player when she has the room to think ahead and map out several scenarios, the Doctor Strange of women’s basketball.
At this point in the collegiate season, there are three things most athletes in Miles’ position are focusing on: the next game they’ll play, how the season is going as a whole, and the looming NCAA Tournament.
Miles wasn’t back on the court until November 2024, but instead of ceding control to Hidalgo, the pair put the team first and have since built one of the most dominant backcourts in college hoops today.
Her coach, Quint Clarke, says he knew Miles was special when he first saw her play as an eighth grader, but “after four or five practices, it was clear she was something unique”.
