Reggie Miller's Caitlin Clark Praise Took an Unexpected Turn
The Indiana Fever and Indiana Pacers are under the same umbrella. That's because both franchises are owned by Herb Simon's Pacers Sports & Entertainment. This leads to a lot of mutual support and interaction between the WNBA and NBA teams, including a strong relationship that has built between Fever star Caitlin Clark and Pacers standout Tyrese Haliburton.
The connection clearly also applies to past players, as Pacers legend Reggie Miller made it obvious that he was excited to have Clark make her analyst debut on NBC's NBA coverage.
That came complete with some high praise as it pertains to her place in Indiana shooting lore.
“There’s a new shooter from Indiana. I’m the third best shooter in the state of Indiana now. It goes Caitlin [Clark], Tyrese [Haliburton], then now myself," Miller declared to Clark on the broadcast.
“There’s a new shooter from Indiana. I’m the third best shooter in the state of Indiana now. It goes Caitlin [Clark], Tyrese [Haliburton], then now myself.”
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) February 1, 2026
Reggie Miller showing love to @CaitlinClark22 and @Pacers guard @Hali 🔥😂 pic.twitter.com/qgh0XnsUZU
However, the noteworthy comments from Miller did not end there.
Reggie Miller Compares Caitlin Clark to Payton Pritchard
Later on the telecast that emanated from Madison Square Garden before a New York Knicks win over the Los Angeles Lakers, host Maria Taylor asked the panel if there is a player that reminds them of Clark, and Miller's reply caught everyone off guard.
"I like Payton Pritchard from Boston. The way he's able to handle the basketball, he makes big shots when the shot clock is running down, a lot like this young lady right here, isn't afraid of the big moment and is a champion like she is soon to be," he said.
Miller obviously meant well, but even Clark herself seemed taken aback by his choice, with her reaction going viral on social media.
Caitlin Clark’s face reaction when Reggie Miller compared her game to Payton Pritchard is just 😂😂😂.
— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (BlueSky too now) (@sluggahjells) February 2, 2026
🎥 @TWDTV1 pic.twitter.com/K1bm22sIAX
Pritchard is an excellent player mind you, but given Clark's status as the face of the WNBA and how she is generally compared to some of the greatest NBA players of all time, the pick was particularly head scratching.
Carmelo Anthony did immediately follow up Miller's remarks by making a comparison Clark surely received better, Lakers star Luka Doncic. Clark had already shared that she looks to Luka's game for inspiration on how to improve her own.
This wasn't the first time Miller made waves with a take recently, as he also stated that Derrick Rose competed for the title of best player in the NBA with LeBron James over a period of 6-8 years on Dan Patrick's show last week, a claim that doesn't measure up to any real analysis.
"For a 6-8 year stretch, him and LeBron were battling for who was the best player in the game."
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) January 27, 2026
– Reggie Miller believes Derrick Rose will get into the Hall of Fame one day. @Nutrafol pic.twitter.com/1p0aZAbKPc
So Clark probably shouldn't dwell on his pull of Pritchard, given Miller was going off-the-cuff and clearly intended it as praise—even if it did turn some heads, including Clark's.
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Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his popular YouTube channel. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak On SI and Indiana Fever On SI!
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