Women's Fastbreak On SI

Notre Dame Star Olivia Miles Sends JuJu Watkins 3-Word Advice on ACL Injury

Olivia Miles sent a clear message to USC star JuJu Watkins about recovering from a torn ACL.
Grant Young|
Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles (5) waits for the start of play after a timeout during a NCAA women's basketball game between No. 8 Notre Dame and No. 2 UConn at Purcell Pavilion on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in South Bend.
Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles (5) waits for the start of play after a timeout during a NCAA women's basketball game between No. 8 Notre Dame and No. 2 UConn at Purcell Pavilion on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Olivia Miles, Notre Dame Fighting Irish star guard and likely top-three pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft, is all too aware of what it takes to return from an ACL tear.

Miles tore the ACL in her right knee during a game against Louisville on February 26, 2023. She missed the entire 2023 postseason and the whole 2023-24 season after it, which meant it had been over 18 months since she returned to on-court competition.

While Miles' Notre Dame squad and the USC Trojans might be rivals, Miles made it clear that she's on JuJu Watkins' support team when speaking with the media on March 28, a few days after Watkins tore her ACL in a 2025 NCAA Tournament game.

"I mean, first up, prayers to JuJu," Miles said. "I was actually watching the game in real time and saw it happen. Heart breaks for anyone that goes through that. You know, I wouldn't wish that injury on my worst enemy.

"I think the advice that I'd give to her is to take her time," Miles added. "There are a lot of external factors, a lot of people who would like to see you back earlier than you may be able to. And you may rush your recovery, but at the end of the day, this injury takes time, and it really takes you listening to your body and what it needs.

"So I would just tell her to stick to her rehab plans, don't listen to people rushing her back, and do it on her own time," Miles concluded.

Props to Miles for showing Watkins support in what is surely a devastating point in her life. Advising Watkins to "take her time" clearly comes from a place of both empathy and experience from Miles.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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