Current:Home > MyCaitlin Clark is astonishing. But no one is better than USC's Cheryl Miller. -InfinityFinance
Caitlin Clark is astonishing. But no one is better than USC's Cheryl Miller.
View
Date:2025-04-18 17:35:12
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! (31915)
Related
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Abortion is legal but under threat in Puerto Rico
- Thawing Arctic Permafrost Hides a Toxic Risk: Mercury, in Massive Amounts
- Wildfires to Hurricanes, 2017’s Year of Disasters Carried Climate Warnings
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- House GOP rules vote on gas stoves goes up in flames
- Hospitals have specialists on call for lots of diseases — but not addiction. Why not?
- Second plane carrying migrants lands in Sacramento; officials say Florida was involved
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- These $9 Kentucky Derby Glasses Sell Out Every Year, Get Yours Now While You Can
Ranking
- Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
- Half a million gallons of sewage leaks into Oregon river after facility malfunction
- Today’s Climate: June 25, 2010
- The crisis in Jackson shows how climate change is threatening water supplies
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Apple unveils new iOS 17 features: Here's what users can expect
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla Officially Crowned at Coronation
- Calif. Lawmakers Rush to Address Methane Leak’s Dangers
Recommendation
Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
Why Pregnant Serena Williams Kept Baby No. 2 a Secret From Daughter Olympia Until Met Gala Reveal
How Biden's declaring the pandemic 'over' complicates efforts to fight COVID
How Biden's declaring the pandemic 'over' complicates efforts to fight COVID
2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
Pippa Middleton Makes Rare Public Appearance at King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s Coronation
These Candidates See Farming as a Climate Solution. Here’s What They’re Proposing.
In Wake of Gulf Spill, Louisiana Moves on Renewable Energy