The WNBA Draft Lottery is complete, and all five teams with the best odds kept their positions. The Dallas Wings secured the top pick again, followed by Minnesota, Seattle, Washington, and Chicago. Attention now turns to Olivia Miles, a rising TCU star who has already caught Chelsea Gray’s eye. With Gray seeing much of her own game in Miles, the excitement around this draft is only growing.

In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray went into detail about the aspects of Olivia Miles’ game that remind her of herself.

“I definitely see some of my game in her, and the way she passes the basketball, the way she sees the play happening before it actually happens, and how she leads to the basket,” Chelsea Gray said in the exclusive interview with Essentially Sports.

“Some people make the pass to go get a basket, and somebody makes a pass or generates an offense to lead to something better, even if it’s not for yourself. And so, especially out in transition, the illusion of, okay, everybody’s looking this way, but the pass is actually going that way. It’s such an art form.”

Over her four years at Notre Dame, Olivia Miles grew into one of the nation’s elite guards. Last season, coming off an ACL injury, she exploded offensively and posted a career-high 15.4 points per game. She also made a huge jump as a shooter, raising her three-point percentage from 22.8 percent in 2022-23 to an impressive 40.6 percent.

Three-point shooting and free-throw accuracy were the only real holes in her offensive game, and it’s clear she put in the work to close those gaps before making the move to TCU. Beyond that, there’s no question that Miles is the best passer in next year’s draft class, and it’s easy to see why Chelsea Gray says she sees similarities in her.

If you’re looking for an elite playmaker, these are two names you keep at the top of your list.

Miles, who idolizes Chelsea Gray, has been in incredible form in her senior year at TCU. She was named Big 12 Player of the Week for the fifth week of the season, after her standout performance in TCU’s 95-40 win over UTEP.

Miles put on a show, recording a triple-double with 15 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in just 32 minutes. With that performance, she became the first Power Four conference player to open a season with 10 straight games of at least 15 points and five assists, setting a new NCAA record in the process.

Her triple-double was TCU’s first in 14 years and only the fourth in program history. Miles now has seven career triple-doubles, tying her for fifth in NCAA history. The TCU guard is averaging her career best 17.7 points, along with 6.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game, which currently ranks her seventh in the nation in assists.

Interestingly, Chelsea Gray averaged 7.2 assists per game during her senior year at Duke, which is remarkably similar to the numbers Miles is putting up this season.

That said, in the same exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Chelsea Gray also spoke about where WNBA players currently stand in the ongoing CBA negotiations, which could even delay the entry of players like Olivia Miles into the league.

Where do players really stand? Chelsea Gray opens up on WNBA salary proposal

“It’s hard for me to give exact numbers. We just want a salary system based on the revenue that we generate. Like, it’s based on that, the working conditions for everyone,” Chelsea Gray said when asked about the priorities of the players.

“Obviously, we have a great facility here in Las Vegas, but I feel like everybody should have access to that. And then protecting our legacy, like the retirement benefits, should be at an elite level. As far as your question, a salary that reflects the revenue share, that’s the most important.” (You can read her entire take on the CBA negotiations here.)

Top Stories

Cam Newton Reveals Exactly Why 32 NFL Teams Blacklisted Him as Panthers Legend Announces Retirement Status

Colin Kaepernick’s Wife Questions NFL Logic After Colts Sign 44-Year-Old QB Philip Rivers Over Kap

Who is Sherrone Moore’s Wife, Kelli Moore? Here’s Everything About Michigan Wolverines’ HC’s Partner

Marcus Freeman Had Already Made Decision on Notre Dame Joining New Conference, Before AD’s Warning

Kansas City Reporter Erupts Against Travis Kelce for Choosing $100 Million Podcast Over Chiefs

Respect Pours In for Caitlin Clark After Latest Offseason Announcement

According to The Athletic and Front Office Sports, the WNBA’s proposal includes a revenue-sharing model where a portion of league revenue becomes eligible to be shared, and players would receive 50 percent of that amount. The exact formula for calculating this revenue hasn’t been made clear, but under the proposed model, max players could earn around $1.2 million in total compensation in the first year, with that figure expected to rise over time.

However, this revenue-sharing system reportedly wouldn’t include every revenue stream and would also have certain expenses deducted. According to Front Office Sports, once everything is accounted for, the model would leave players with less than 15 percent of the WNBA’s total revenue, far below what Chelsea Gray and others believe is fair.

As for the facilities and retirement benefits Gray mentioned, The Athletic reports that the WNBPA has proposed several new requirements for team facilities. These include guaranteed access to private practice gyms along with upgraded locker rooms and training spaces. Both sides have had productive discussions on these issues, but no clear resolution has been reached yet.

It’s the same story when it comes to retirement benefits. The two sides have discussed offering a one-time payment to former players who reach a certain number of service years, although the exact amount is still being negotiated. The WNBPA is also pushing for medical coverage for uninsured retired players, but that too remains unresolved as talks continue.