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Miles named to Dawn Staley Award Late Season Watch List

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — For the second year in a row, Notre Dame point guard Olivia Miles has earned a spot on the Dawn Staley Award Late Season Watch List.

Established in 2013, the award is named for the current South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley and recognizes the best guard in women’s college basketball. Whoever brings home the laurels “exemplifies the skills that Dawn possessed during her career (ball handling, scoring, her ability to distribute the basketball and her will to win,” per the award’s website.

No. 10 Notre Dame’s statistical leader in points (14.9), rebounds (7.1), assists (7.2) and steals (2.1), Miles has already established herself among the sport’s elite as a sophomore. Best known for her eye-popping passing abilities, she is currently the ACC’s leader in the assists per game category. There have been six individual performances of 12+ assists in a single game this year in the conference, and Miles is responsible for three of those. No other player has more than one.

Additionally, Miles is one of two players in the country averaging at least 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists per game (Caitlin Clark, Iowa).

There are a total of five ACC players on the list: Miles, Diamond Johnson (NC State), Hailey Van Lith (Louisville), Ta’Niya Latson (Florida State) and Dyaisha Fair (Syracuse). Former Irish star Skylar Diggins is the only Notre Dame player to bring the award to South Bend. She won the first award during the 2012-13 season. Iowa’s Clark has won the last two honors.

Four finalists for the honor will be announced the weekend of the Final Four. The award will be presented in a virtual ceremony in April.

The complete Late Season Watch List can be found here.