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Cheryl Miller Blasts 'Big Dummies' For Caitlin Clark WNBA Criticism

Basketball legend Cheryl Miller didn't mince words about her peers who are critical of Caitlin Clark.
Grant Young|
July 19: Team WNBA All-Star coach Cheryl Miller talks to Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during practice for Saturday's All-Star Game agains the U.S. Olympic team.
July 19: Team WNBA All-Star coach Cheryl Miller talks to Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during practice for Saturday's All-Star Game agains the U.S. Olympic team. | Patrick Breen / USA TODAY NETWORK

While Cheryl Miller initially became a household name in the basketball world because of her incredible playing career, she has maintained relevance due to her charismatic personality and optimistic outlook on the sport and the various superstars playing in it.

This has proven several times when it comes to Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark. During a July episode of the "Breakthrough Chronicles" podcast with Kevin Ray, Miller discussed the support she gave Clark in the middle of what was a rollercoaster rookie season.

"And I saw that first win can be so shedding of some of that weight, some of that volume, and I gave her the biggest hug that I could," Miller said of Clark. "And when she saw me she was like ‘Oh man, finally somebody who’s on my side.'

"[Clark] was getting hit with everything left and right," Miller added. "And I just said, I hugged her and said, ‘I’m so proud of you. Savor this, use this as a formula, but keep being you. No matter what, keep being you.'"

Miller was a featured guest on a March 13 episode of the ALL THE SMOKE podcast. And at one point, she put Clark's critics on blast in a big way.

"I was like 'C'mon, you big dummies,'" Miller said of how she responded to some of her peers being critical of Clark. "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."

She then added, "As much as she was given, you can't tell me if that door was swung the other way where she didn't live up to the hype, c'mon, folks are still waiting for her to fall! So with that being said, you big dummies, you getting paid now! Everybody now has an opportunity to pull up their chair and have a seat."

It's such a breath of fresh air to hear Miller's willingness to praise Clark in this way.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.

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