Who Is Cheryl Miller? NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller?s Sister Who Became a Woman Basketball?Legend

We’d all remember Reggie Miller, the 2012 Hall of Famer, or at least the 75th anniversary of the NBA, where we’re meant to reprise the magnificent moment he created. On May 7, 1995, Madison Square Garden witnessed some of the most amazing basketball action in history. The Indiana Pacers were behind by six points before their #31 made two crucial three-pointers to knot the game. The score stayed tied at 105 with 7.5 seconds remaining. Reggie Miller moved forward to make two free throws after hitting the game-tying three-pointer to help his team defeat the New York Knicks at home. Reggie still remains fourth in the NBA in 3-pointers made after 30 years of his feat.

But, in the process of celebrating Reggie Miller, we must not overlook his elder sister, Cheryl Miller, who has made significant contributions to the WNBA and is regarded as a women’s basketball great in contemporary times.

The tale of the historic 105 points in a high school game

Cheryl got down with the presenters of the Knuckle Heads podcast to talk about and share some memories from her childhood basketball games. When questioned about Reggie, she scoffed, saying, “We never played on the same team, even as a family. Reggie is always on the losing team.” She recalled the days when she and her brother were rivals in basketball, and she always had the upper hand.

Miller did have an enviable basketball resume. Miller attended Riverside Polytechnic High School, where she received the Dial Award in 1981 as the best high school scholar-athlete in the country. She was the first athlete in history to get four Parade All-American honors.

Miller was also named Street & Smith’s National High School Player of the Year in 1981 and 1982, averaging 32.8 points and 15.0 rebounds per game.

One might not easily forget the 105 points she scored in her high school game versus Norte Vista, which propelled her to legendary status in high school basketball history.

When asked about the historic 105-pointer game, she replied, “It was just a normal game,” and she continued as one of the students at the school approached her and asked, “How are you going to score tonight?” and that was the triggering point, according to Cheryl, which led to an individual 70 points and 105 team points with 2 minutes left.

Cheryl Miller’s unsung basketball legacy

Cheryl played for the University of Southern California in the 1980s after a stellar high school career, garnering four All-American honors and two NCAA championships. Miller also led the USA women’s basketball team to a gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Cheryl was picked by a number of professional basketball leagues but was unable to compete due to injuries.

Cheryl is recognized for winning back-to-back NCAA titles for USC after two tough NCAA seasons. When asked about her feat, she stated, “It was easy to win the first title because no one expected us to do it.”

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She continues that the pressure was immense the second time because everyone was aware of the gameplay and the expectations would naturally skyrocket, she says naturally the other team started formulating the policy to beat us, which is an added adversity to overcome.

Cheryl Miller’s impact on the creation of the WNBA

Cheryl had knee problems that prevented her from playing, but her passion never wavered in her advocacy for equality in women’s sports, and it is widely thought she was a driving force in the founding of the WNBA. When asked about her reaction to the founding of the WNBA, she stated, “It was about the time, the perfect time.”

It was a beautiful era for Sheryl Swoopes and Rebecca Lobo, and athletes like them were putting on a nice show in women’s basketball, she believes it was the appropriate moment to start an organization just for women.

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Despite not being able to play in the league, Cheryl coached the Phoenix Mercury from 1997 to 2000 and temporarily served as general manager. She also currently acts as a sports analyst for channels such as NBA TV and ESPN.