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As TCU Horned Frogs women’s basketball prepares for a second round matchup with Washington Huskies women’s basketball, the numbers tell part of the story.
The rest starts with Olivia Miles.
Miles enters the night averaging 19.4 points and 6.6 assists per game, but the real shift in her game is harder to quantify. It shows up in rhythm, in confidence, and in the way TCU plays when everything is connected.
“I think that’s what I was most proud of,” Miles said. “Everyone being bought in and everyone being confident.”
That belief did not just happen. It came from a decision that once drew skepticism across the sport.
She chose not to go to the WNBA.
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“To me, no. To the outside world, yes,” Miles said. “To leave what I left on the table seemed stupid…but I knew deep in my heart I needed one more year to be ready.”
That year became something more. It became a reset.
“I found my joy back, my love for the game,” Miles said. “I found a sisterhood and a family that I’ll have forever.”
That joy shows up in how TCU plays together.
“When we are clicking on all cylinders and our chemistry is flowing like it did yesterday, we’re really hard to stop,” she said. “Even if somebody wasn’t having a good shooting night, someone else is there to pick up the slack.”
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That balance has defined the Horned Frogs during their surge.
It is not just Miles producing. It is the full group, moving with confidence and purpose, something that head coach Mark Campbell pointed to as the goal this time of year.
“In March, you want to be playing your best basketball,” Campbell said. “This group is doing that.”
Across from them is a Washington team led by Sayvia Sellers, who averages 18.0 points per game and anchors a backcourt capable of controlling stretches. Players like Avery Howell add presence on the glass, and the Huskies’ movement forces discipline on the defensive end.
TCU knows the challenge. But the focus has stayed internal.
“I think, ultimately, it doesn’t matter what team you are playing,” teammate Donovyn Hunter said. “If we are focused and locked in…our team is able to put together a game worth of good defense.”
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For Miles, the mindset is just as simple.
“We just love hooping together,” she said. “We are excited to be out there and home one last time.”
That emotion carries weight. This is her final game at Schollmaier Arena. A one year stop that turned into something lasting.
“My only goal coming here was to leave it better than I found it,” Miles said. “And I think I have done it.”
The risk, at least publicly, was always about waiting. Financially. Professionally. Timing.
But for Miles, it was never about outside perception.
“I didn’t quite think I was ready enough to be a pro at that moment,” she said. “But now I feel ready.”
Now, that readiness is showing up at the exact moment it matters most.
And if TCU continues to play with the same joy, balance, and confidence she helped restore, Miles’ decision will be remembered for more than just patience.
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