Current:Home > InvestCaitlin Clark is astonishing. But no one is better than USC's Cheryl Miller. -ProfitEdge
Caitlin Clark is astonishing. But no one is better than USC's Cheryl Miller.
EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-11 04:37:19
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! (8)
Related
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Jennifer Lopez says new album sums up her feelings, could be her last: 'True love does exist'
- Hilary Swank shares twins' names for first time on Valentine’s Day: 'My two little loves'
- Nordstrom Rack's Extra 40% Off Clearance Sale Has Us Sprinting Like Crazy To Fill Our Carts
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Officials plan to prevent non-flying public from accessing the Atlanta airport with new rules
- Endangered right whale floating dead off Georgia is rare species’ second fatality since January
- Trump's first criminal trial set to begin March 25 as judge denies bid to dismiss hush money case
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Georgia Senate passes plan meant to slow increases in property tax bills
Ranking
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Delta flight with maggots on plane forced to turn around
- Why banks are fighting changes to an anti-redlining program
- Pennsylvania man accused of beheading father charged with terrorism
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Co-inventor of Pop-Tarts, William Post, passes away at 96
- First nitrogen execution was a ‘botched’ human experiment, Alabama lawsuit alleges
- Ex-Los Angeles police officer won’t be retried for manslaughter for fatal shooting at Costco store
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Tribes in Washington are battling a devastating opioid crisis. Will a multimillion-dollar bill help?
A Republican plan to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin is dead
John Calipari's middling Kentucky team may be college basketball's most interesting story
Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
Endangered right whale floating dead off Georgia is rare species’ second fatality since January
Gwen Stefani receives massive emerald ring for Valentine's Day from Blake Shelton
Woman charged in scheme to steal over 1,000 luxury clothing items worth $800,000