Olivia Miles wasn’t just changing jerseys when she left South Bend for Fort Worth. She was betting on herself to utilize an entire program. The All-American point guard who made a name for herself running Notre Dame’s offense is now in a very different situation at TCU, where there is a lot less room for error. After carrying the team in a 71-69 loss to Ohio State on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Miles’ new reality is becoming clearer.

Sabreena Merchant talked about the problems Miles is experiencing at TCU on the show No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show. Merchant said, “It’s kind of a bummer that Olivia Miles left because I don’t think TCU is that deep right now.”

“Without Maddie Scherr, Clara Silva gets in foul trouble, you know. There’s a lot of players on that roster where it’s like we’re really trusting Olivia Miles to make them better. They wanted this. She wanted to run a pro-style offense at TCU,” she added.

“She wanted to get that Hailey Van Lith glow-up coming into the league, which I’m not necessarily sure she needed because she already had a very strong resume as a point guard.”

The game between Ohio State and Michigan was a perfect example of what Merchant said. Miles scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out seven assists, which was three assists short of her fifth triple-double this season.

However, TCU turned the ball over 20 times and couldn’t finish a game that had eight ties in the fourth quarter. When Marty Suarez had trouble keeping the ball safe, and other players didn’t help, the Horned Frogs had no choice but to rely on their star point guard.

Mark Campbell, the head coach of TCU, coached Sabrina Ionescu at Oregon and Hailey Van Lith last season. Campbell sees the same winning effect in Miles. “Those two kids,” Campbell said, “they just impact winning.”

Miles had a big impact on the closely fought game, where she made 11 of 12 free throws and had her 48th career game with at least 15 points and five assists.

But the worries about depth go beyond just one game. With Maddie Scherr out and Clara Silva in foul trouble, TCU’s supporting cast has a hard time giving consistent help. When role players like Marty Suarez have bad nights and can’t hold on to the ball, it’s up to Miles to lift everyone around her.

This last year of college for a player who has already had 11 triple-doubles and is getting ready for the WNBA Draft in April is all about proving she can lead a thin roster to the championship.

Olivia Miles takes accountability after TCU’s narrow loss

Miles won’t let the loss to Ohio State define her season, even though the roster problems are huge. The 22-year-old point guard isn’t thinking about what went wrong at the Coretta Scott King Classic.

Instead, she’s using the loss as motivation to get better. The fact that she is willing to take on responsibility shows the kind of person she was when she became an All-American.

Miles was only three assists away from getting her 11th career triple-double, which showed how versatile she is and how limited the team is. “Losses always hurt, but there’s a silver lining somewhere,” Miles told the New York Post’s Madeline Kenney. “Thought I played well — not well enough. Need to get my teammates more involved.”

Top Stories

Josh Allen’s Strong Stance on Sean McDermott’s Exit Revealed After Owner Shared Bills QB’s Role in HC’s Firing

John Harbaugh Fires Giants Coach Battling Cancer as Ravens Block Staff Poaching

Bills Announce Concerning Josh Allen News as Owner Unloads on NFL Refs For Brandin Cooks Incident

Naomi Osaka Blasts Opponent Over Cold Handshake After Win: “Her Last Australian Open”

Viral 4-Year-Old NFL Picks Girl Faces Death Threats After Cardi B’s Profanity-Laced Rant

‘Desperate’ to Find Help, Cowboys Legend Troy Aikman Shares Medical Update on Chronic Issue

“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,” she stated.

Miles has now scored at least 15 points and five assists in a game 48 times, making her one of the best playmakers in college basketball. TCU is now focused on Saturday’s game against UCF on the road, where Miles will once again be in charge of leading the Horned Frogs.