LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Los Angeles Athletic Club released the annual John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy’s® Midseason Top 25 Watch List on Wednesday evening, one which includes Notre Dame sophomore point guard Olivia Miles. Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the 2022-23 season thus far, the list comprises student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport’s most prestigious honor.
Miles leads Notre Dame in four of the five major statistical categories this season: points (15.2), rebounds (8.0), assists (7.5) and steals (2.5). She is the only player in the country averaging at least 15 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists every time she takes the floor. Her field goal success rate sits just over 50 percent (.507), and she sinks free throws at a 79.4-percent mark.
The dynamic ball carrier’s name peppers the conference and national rankings as well. Miles leads the ACC with 7.5 assists per game, just over the conference-leading 7.4 she posted as a freshman last year. She is tied for third in the category nationally. Miles is also 14th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (7.8) and is one of 15 Division I players to have recorded a triple-double during the 2022-2023 season.
On that topic, the New Jersey native posted her third career triple-double on Dec. 10 against Merrimack, passing Skylar Diggins and Jackie Young for most career triple-doubles in Notre Dame history, men or women.
In total, the midseason list includes six players from the Big Ten and five from the ACC. In addition to Miles, UNC guard Deja Kelly, Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith, Florida State guard Ta’Niya Latson and Virginia Tech forward Elizabeth Kitley made the cut from the conference. Four of the five women, including Miles, have already been named the ACC Player of the Week at least once this year.
Players not chosen to the preseason or midseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Voters will rank 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament. The Wooden Award All America Team™ will be announced the week of the Elite Eight. The winner of the 2023 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy’s following the NCAA Tournament in April.
The complete list can be found here.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball, recognizing the top male and female players in the sport. Previous winners include Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Kevin Durant (’07), Candace Parker (’07; ’08), Maya Moore (’09; ’11) and Chiney Ogwumike (’14). Last year’s recipients were Aliyah Boston of South Carolina and Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All-American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.