Current:Home > InvestCaitlin Clark is astonishing. But no one is better than USC's Cheryl Miller. -AdvancementTrade
Caitlin Clark is astonishing. But no one is better than USC's Cheryl Miller.
View
Date:2025-04-15 18:37:31
In February for Black History Month, USA TODAY Sports is publishing the series "29 Black Stories in 29 Days." We examine the issues, challenges and opportunities Black athletes and sports officials continue to face after the nation’s reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. This is the fourth installment of the series.
Let's be clear from the jump: Caitlin Clark is an all-time great player. Some people have tried to say she's not. Oh yeah. She is. A legendary, devastating player. Anyone who says otherwise is a goofball hater.
Yet something has happened when it comes to Clark that's been interesting to watch. There's been a classic case of recency bias. It's been all over the place in the Clark coverage and analysis. She's been anointed as the greatest player ever by some and there's an argument for that but it ignores what is a plethora of greats ... and I mean a staggering number of stunning players who are at least as good as Clark.
We saw this recency bias when Shaquille O'Neal declared Clark as "the best female collegiate player ever."
Again, it's okay, and also fun, to have this debate, as long as there's some historical perspective, which doesn't seem present. That's because you cannot have the discussion about greatest women's college player ever without mentioning one name: Cheryl Miller.
Some of you may know about Miller, some of you might not. For historical, basketball old heads, no woman player is better than Miller, and I mean no one.
There are a number of greats like Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi, among others. But to me Miller tops them all.
I believe Miller, at her height, would have destroyed almost any other woman college player at theirs. And some men, too. She was generally viewed as better than her brother, Reggie Miller. That's not an exaggeration. That's how good she was.
Cheryl played at 6 foot 2 and was fast, physical and could shoot. She handled the ball like a point guard but also physically dominated the interior. Almost no one could stop her.
It's true that the women's game is far deeper and more athletic than when Miller played at USC from 1982-1986 but it doesn't matter. If you took Miller from the 1980s, placed her in a time machine, and put her in today's game, she would obliterate everyone.
Miller averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists a game. She was a two-time NCAA champion, a two-time tournament Most Outstanding Player, three-time player of the year, and four-time All-American.
Again, Clark is terrific, and none of this is about diminishing what she's accomplished. It's also true we're allowed to just let Clark enjoy her moment. But what's been lacking since Clark broke the scoring record is historical context. This is where people are failing.
Because they're forgetting all about Miller.
veryGood! (22)
Related
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Detroit-area police win appeal over liability in death of woman in custody
- Review: 'Emilia Pérez' is the most wildly original film you'll see in 2024
- Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul VIP fight package costs a whopping $2M. Here's who bought it.
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Dave Coulier Says He's OK If This Is the End Amid Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Battle
- DWTS’ Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten Have the Best Reaction to Fans Hoping for a Romance
- NFL coaches diversity report 2024: Gains at head coach, setbacks at offensive coordinator
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Kendall Jenner Is Back to Being a Brunette After Ditching Blonde Hair
Ranking
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- Gisele Bündchen Makes First Major Appearance Since Pregnancy
- Republican Scott Baugh concedes to Democrat Dave Min in critical California House race
- 'Cowboy Carter' collaborators to be first country artists to perform at Rolling Loud
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Surfer Bethany Hamilton Makes Masked Singer Debut After 3-Year-Old Nephew’s Tragic Death
- Mississippi governor intent on income tax cut even if states receive less federal money
- Dave Coulier Says He's OK If This Is the End Amid Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Battle
Recommendation
Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
Biden, Harris participate in Veterans Day ceremony | The Excerpt
The View's Sara Haines Walks Off After Whoopi Goldberg's NSFW Confession
American arrested in death of another American at luxury hotel in Ireland
At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul VIP fight package costs a whopping $2M. Here's who bought it.
Taylor Swift drops Christmas merchandise collection, including for 'Tortured Poets' era
US overdose deaths are down, giving experts hope for an enduring decline