On the latest All The Smoke episode, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson chop it up with the iconic Cheryl Miller, diving into her groundbreaking career and how she paved the way for the rise of women’s basketball.
When you think of the pioneers of women’s basketball, Cheryl Miller’s name is arguably at the top of the list. Miller was a three-time player of the year, two-time national champion, two-time NCAA tournament MVP, gold medalist, and first woman to dunk in a basketball game. Today’s women’s basketball players can play in the WNBA after college. In contrast, Miller’s playing career predates The W. Barnes asked Miller to reflect on that period post-college after her legendary collegiate career at USC. Miller expressed that she has no regrets from that time period because there were players like Ann Meyers, Nancy Lieberman, and Lynette Woodard who made her feel like she was not the only girl playing basketball, BALLING, and playing at a high level. Moreover, Miller stressed that watching women’s basketball players grow, find their voices, leverage their platforms, and finally get paid has been a blessing. To see them reap the benefits of the game evolving means a lot to Miller.
During the WNBA All-Star game, Miller took the mantle as Coach Miller, leading the WNBA rookies against the women’s USA basketball team. Miller shared with Stak and Matt that coaching the rookies was THE BEST COACHING JOB EVER. While coaching, she had a chance to spend time with the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, and she expressed that she could relate to Clark and that she knows what it feels like to be hated. Moreover, she also knows what it feels like to be hated for her skin color. She admits that Clark brought on some of the despisement on herself, and rightfully so because she has some cockiness to her but for a good reason which Miller loves about her. Even with the negative narrative surrounding Clark in the media, she was pleased to inform the guys that that was false. She attested that Clark and Angel Reese got along so well, and Miller acknowledged that their chemistry was strong even in practice. Miller was impressed particularly with how Clark thinks the game, sees the game, and is a better defender than she initially gave her credit for. The biggest lesson she learned from coaching the All-Star team was that you have just to let the young players play their way. Miller mentioned that she is not the type to go knocking on their doors to give them advice because she frankly does not know what it feels like to be a women’s basketball player in this day and age because she did not grow up with social media or have to deal with the pressures of being a brand, or the breadwinner or worry about being heavily scrutinized for everything that she said and did. Miller affirmed that she does not regret being born when she was born and that she is in the right place at the right time. She admires how today’s WNBA players have picked up the baton and taken the game even further.
There is a modern-day lady, USC Trojan, who is blazing her path in women’s basketball, JuJu Watkins. Miller praised Watkins as a tremendous talent, noting the pressure she faces playing at USC—a storied program shaped by Hall of Famers like Pam and Paula McGee, Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson, Cynthia Cooper, and Miller herself. Watkins isn’t just stepping into the spotlight; she’s expected to build on their legacy. Miller champions Watkins’ ability to stay poise even going back to her freshman year, however, she was looking forward to seeing how Watkins handled adversity during games where defenders may be physical and put her on her back how she would respond. She was particularly keying on how she would react to being double and triple-teamed during the middle to last half of last season and whether or not she would make adjustments. Miller added that she is even more impressed with how solid Watkins is as a human being and attributes it to the foundation set by her parents. Further, Miller shared two pieces of wisdom with Watkins; one is to find that quiet place away from basketball where she can be herself and identify things that you are interested in that are not basketball-related.
Shifting gears to the highly lauded professional 3×3 Unrivaled women’s basketball league, Miller explained that when the league started, she speculated that The W may have been in their feelings. She believes that it ultimately has to learn from its successes and failures. The first three years of the WNBA brought a lot of excitement, and after that, the league started to rest on its laurels. They did not do the leg work, as Miller explained. They did not pick up the phone, engage season ticket holders, or have conversations early on to figure out how to make the product better. She hopes that the WNBA can acknowledge that Unrivaled is an extension of their product and that it sparks more collaboration between the two leagues. More importantly, the hope is that more women’s professional leagues will arise because even though Unrivaled and the WNBA have succeeded, there are still women out there who need opportunities to play ball.
Watch or listen to the full episode below and keep an eye on DraftKings Network for new episodes of All The Smoke Unplugged every Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET!
SHOW BREAKDOWN
Cheryl Miller on Caitlin vs. Angel vs. JuJu, the 105-Point Game & Who Wins a 1v1 vs. Reggie Miller?
- Basketball royalty joins ALL THE SMOKE as Matt and Stak sit down with the incomparable Cheryl Miller for a conversation that our fans have been asking for for years. In this must-watch episode, Miller takes us through her extraordinary journey that changed women’s basketball forever. She breaks down the current explosion of the women’s game, offering perspective on superstars Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins from someone who revolutionized basketball decades before them. Miller shares what it was like coaching these rising stars at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game and gives her unvarnished take on the league’s newest competitor, Unrivaled. The conversation goes deep into Miller family lore, with Cheryl revealing intimate stories about her relationship with brother Reggie Miller, including his reaction to her historic 105-point game. Beyond personal stories, Miller delivers a basketball education, reminiscing on the pioneers who built women’s basketball and offering expert analysis on international talent revolutionizing both the NBA and WNBA. She even settles the eternal debate, ranking Jordan, Kobe, and LeBron with the authority only a true basketball savant can provide.
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