For the majority of their clash with Iowa State, TCU found themselves trailing and staring down the real possibility of their home winning streak coming to an end. The Cyclones defense kept the Horned Frogs uncomfortable all night. With 7:35 left on the clock, Iowa State had built a commanding 66–53 lead and seemed firmly in control. But, as we’ve seen time and again this season, Olivia Miles rose to the occasion and settled it.

We witnessed yet another historic showing from one of the nation’s top point guards, as she powered TCU past Iowa State 80–73, orchestrating a stunning 12-point fourth-quarter comeback. The win not only sealed a statement victory but also pushed the Horned Frogs’ home streak to 41 games at Schollmaier Arena.

Miles finished with 26 points on 8-of-21 shooting, while also grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists to secure her fifth triple-double of the season. In doing so, she etched her name into the record books, as highlighted by ESPN Insights: “Olivia Miles’ fifth triple-double with TCU this season ties Brittney Griner and Shalee Lehning for the most in a career in Big 12 history.”

For most of the game, the Cyclones’ defense gave Miles plenty of trouble, and we could see she was struggling to find her shot. But in the fourth, she came alive, determined not to let the home streak end. Down 12, Miles put TCU on her back, scoring 17 in the quarter, and hit the final dagger.

With under a minute to play, she’d already done the heavy lifting to put TCU in front, but she wasn’t about to leave anything to chance. So she took matters into her own hands. Miles pulled up off the dribble and drained a clutch jumper to make it 75–70, and just as the shot dropped… the arena lights went out. Talk about literally shooting the lights out!

With this win, the Horned Frogs are right back where they wanted to be — on top of the Big 12. Sitting at 25–4 overall and 13–4 in conference play, TCU looks primed for a deep postseason run, and unlike last season, they won’t be sneaking in as underdogs, but as a team everyone has to take seriously. Whether that translates into a push past the Elite Eight, though, is still something we’ll have to wait and see.

That said, staying in college instead of turning pro has worked out just about perfectly for Olivia Miles in her final season, even if that decision might cause headaches for a certain WNBA front office.

Why Olivia Miles Staying Became A Problem for Angel Reese and Co.

Heading into last season’s draft, the Chicago Sky held the No. 3 pick and were heavily pursuing Miles, as they badly needed a true floor general. But just weeks before draft night, we learned that the Sky were trading that pick for Ariel Atkins. This move didn’t make sense at first, but it became clear when Miles announced her decision to stay instead of entering the draft.

This year, Miles will enter the draft as a projected lottery pick once again, and her performances fully back that up. She’s putting up a TCU-best 20.1 points, 6.5 assists, and two steals per game, showing just how much her game has grown now that she’s healthy again.

And that’s a problem for the Chicago Sky, who still need a true point guard to maximize the potential of the likes of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. They hold the No. 5 pick this year, but right now it’s hard to see any scenario where Olivia Miles goes below the number three pick. A huge setback for the windy city franchise!

“It was a really good decision for her to go back to school, and honestly, this transfer is seeming to be a really significant benefit for her. Yeah. And I think you said she would be really helpful on the Chicago Sky. That’s if she drops all the way down to five because she is doing such a great job improving that draft stock this year with TCU,” Kalia Butler and Sophia Jones said on the Lock on Women’s Basketball podcast. 

Angel Reese has been pretty open about wanting to team up with Olivia Miles, and interestingly enough, the last high-profile guard to come out of TCU, Hailey Van Lith, also suits up for Chicago. So honestly, who wouldn’t want another Horned Frog bringing her talents to the Sky… especially one who just matched Brittney Griner’s Big 12 record? As things stand, though, a Miles–Reese pairing in Chicago still looks unlikely.

Do you see these two teaming up in Chicago? Let us know in the comments down below!