Cheryl Miller blasts 'big dummies' criticizing Caitlin Clark

Cheryl Miller feels the pain of Caitlin Clark and the seemingly endless “haters” of her on-court success. Miller was a three-time National Player of the Year from 1984 to 1986, and was incredibly dominant during a time in which the WNBA did not exist. Caitlin Clark has brought plenty of attention, ratings, and money to the WNBA, but it has also brought plenty of criticism and hate from opponents in the league.

“Is she getting hyped? Yes. But she was in the backyard. She was putting in the same time, sometimes maybe more than you were. I can’t fault her for what she was given. … You big dummies. You [are] getting paid now, right? Everybody now has an opportunity to pull up their chair and have a seat [at the table],” Miller said in an article written by Colin Salao of Front Office Sports.

The good news with Clark is that she’ll have another tremendous player to lean on for advice during hard times. Although it’s tough for anyone to have experienced the world that the former Iowa superstar has been experiencing the past few years.

But it’s good to see someone recognize that Clark is the cash cow for the WNBA, and they should be treating her better. The league has been losing money for over 20 years, Caitlin Clark is reversing those fortunes, and somehow not getting the respect she deserves.

Miller was special in her career. Her No. 31 jersey is retired by USC. She’s not only one of the greatest players in USC women’s basketball history, but women’s basketball in general. Miller was not only a two-time national champion during her time with the Trojans, but she won Naismith Player of the Year honors three times (1984-1986). She’s got one of the most impressive resumes from any woman ever to play the sport.

Clark put together one of the best rookies seasons ever seen in WNBA history to average 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. She led the Indiana Fever to its first playoff appearance in eight years, where it fell in the first round against the Connecticut Sun.

Clark set several records in her first season, including the overall league record for assists (337), points by a rookie (769) and 3-point field goals by a rookie (122). All this coming off of a year in which she surpassed the NCAA’s all-time scoring record, seeming to back up claims of her greatness.

On3’s Chandler Vessels also contributed to this article.