Cheryl Miller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cheryl Miller

Miller during a game in 1986
Personal information
Born	(1964-01-03) January 3, 1964 (age 61) Riverside, California, U.S.
High school	Riverside Polytechnic (Riverside, California)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
College	USC (1982–1986)
Coaching career	1986–present
Career history
As coach:
1986–1991	USC (assistant)
1993–1995	USC
1997–2000	Phoenix Mercury (HC/GM)
2014–2015	Langston University
2016–2019	Cal State Los Angeles
Career highlights and awards
As player: 2× NCAA champion (1983, 1984) 2× NCAA Tournament MOP (1983, 1984) 3× Naismith Player of the Year (1984–1986) Wade Trophy (1985) 2× Honda Sports Award (1984, 1985) 2x USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year (1984, 1986) Broderick Cup (1984) 2× WBCA Player of the Year (1985, 1986) 4× Kodak All-American (1983–1986) No. 31 retired by USC Trojans As coach: WNBA All-Star Game coach (2024)
Medals Women's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1984 Los Angeles Team competition Pan American Games Gold 1983 Caracas Team competition Goodwill Games Gold 1986 Moscow Team competition FIBA World Championship for Women Silver 1983 Rio de Janeiro Team Competition Gold 1986 Moscow Team Competition Jones Cup Gold 1984 Taipei Team Competition

Cheryl Deann Miller, born on January 3, 1964, is a famous American basketball player. Many people think Cheryl is one of the best women's basketball players ever.

She used to report from the sidelines for NBA games on TV. She also worked as a reporter and analyst for NBA TV. Before that, she was a sportscaster for other big sports channels like ABC Sports and ESPN. Cheryl also coached and managed the Phoenix Mercury team in the WNBA.

In 1995, Cheryl was honored in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This is a special place for basketball legends. In 1999, she was part of the first group of people to join the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Later, in 2010, she was also added to the FIBA Hall of Fame for her amazing international play.

Cheryl is also the sister of two other famous athletes. Her brother, Reggie Miller, was a big NBA star and is also in the Hall of Fame. Her other brother, Darrell Miller, played as a catcher in Major League Baseball.

Cheryl Miller's Early Life and High School Basketball

Cheryl Miller played basketball at Riverside Polytechnic High School from 1978 to 1982. She was an incredible player, helping her team win 132 games while only losing 4!

In 1981, she won the Dial Award for being the best high school student-athlete in the country. She was also the first player, boy or girl, to be named an All-American by Parade magazine four times. This shows how talented she was from a young age.

Cheryl averaged 32.8 points and 15.0 rebounds per game. She was named the national High School Player of the Year by Street & Smith's in both 1981 and 1982. In her final year of high school, she scored an amazing 105 points in one game! She also set California state records for the most points in a single season (1156) and the most points in her entire high school career (3405).

Playing for the University of Southern California

Miller in 1984, playing for USC

Cheryl Miller went on to play basketball at the University of Southern California (USC). She was 6 feet 2 inches tall and played the small forward position. She played for four years and scored 3,018 points in her college career. This is one of the highest scores in NCAA history! She was also named an All-American four times.

Cheryl was named the Naismith College Player of the Year three times. She also won the Wade Trophy, another award for the best player. At USC, Cheryl led her team to a fantastic 112–20 record. They won the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship in 1983 and 1984. Cheryl was named the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament both of those years.

Her teammates at USC included other future stars like Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, who won the WNBA MVP award twice. In 1986, USC honored Cheryl by retiring her number 31 jersey. This was the first time USC had retired a basketball player's jersey, for either a male or female player.

Cheryl still holds many records at USC, including:

• Points: 3,018 (averaging 23.6 points per game)
• Rebounds: 1,534 (averaging 12.0 rebounds per game)
• Field goals made: 1,159
• Free throws made: 700
• Games played: 128
• Steals: 462

After her playing career, Cheryl returned to USC in 1993 to become the head coach for the women's basketball team.

Playing for Team USA Basketball

Cheryl Miller was a key player for the USA National team in many international competitions.

World Championships and Pan American Games

In 1983, Cheryl played for the USA team in the World Championships in Brazil. The team won six games but lost twice to the Soviet Union, earning a silver medal. Cheryl was the top scorer for the team, averaging 17.6 points per game.

In 1984, the USA team went to the William Jones Cup in Taiwan to practice for the Olympics. They won all eight of their games easily. Cheryl led the team in scoring, rebounding, and steals.

Cheryl also helped the U.S. team win the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She was also part of the gold medal team at the 1983 Pan American Games in Venezuela.

Goodwill Games and More World Championships

In 1986, Cheryl represented the US at the first-ever Goodwill Games in Moscow. The team played very well, winning against Yugoslavia and Brazil. They had a tough game against Czechoslovakia, but Cheryl scored 26 points to help the US win.

The final game was against the Soviet Union, who had a very dominant team. However, the US team played incredibly well, winning 83–60 and taking home the gold medal. Cheryl averaged 20.6 points per game during this event.

A month later, Cheryl continued to play for the US National team at the 1986 World Championships, also in Moscow. The USA team was even stronger this time. They won all their early games easily. In the final, they faced the Soviet Union again. The US team started strong, leading 45–23 at halftime. They continued to dominate in the second half, winning the gold medal with a score of 108–88. Cheryl was the top scorer in the final game with 24 points.

Cheryl Miller's Coaching Career

After finishing college in 1986, Cheryl faced knee injuries that stopped her from playing professionally. However, she stayed involved in basketball.

From 1986 to 1991, she was an assistant coach at USC. She also started working as a television sportscaster.

Coaching at USC

In 1993, Cheryl became the head coach for her old college team, USC. She coached for two seasons, from 1993 to 1995. Her teams had a great record of 42 wins and 14 losses. They also made it to the NCAA tournament both seasons.

Coaching in the WNBA

After USC, Cheryl coached for four seasons (1997–2000) with the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. She was also the general manager for the team. Cheryl wanted her team to play fast and strong defense.

In 1998, Cheryl led the Mercury to the WNBA Finals, where they played against the Houston Comets. She left the team after the 2000 season, saying she was tired.

Later Coaching Roles

On April 30, 2014, Cheryl was named the women's basketball coach at Langston University. Then, on May 26, 2016, she became the women's basketball coach at California State University, Los Angeles.

Cheryl is also a part-owner of the UPSHOT League, a new professional women's basketball league in the United States. It is planned to start in May 2026.

Cheryl Miller's Broadcast Career

Cheryl Miller has had a long and successful career in sports broadcasting.

She worked as a sideline reporter for NBA games on TNT Sports. She also appeared on NBA TV as a reporter and analyst. Cheryl joined Turner Sports in 1995 as an analyst and reporter. In November 1996, she made history by becoming the first female analyst to call a nationally televised NBA game. She also worked as a sideline reporter for the video game series NBA 2K. She left Turner Sports in 2013.

Cheryl also worked as a basketball commentator for the 1994 Goodwill Games. She reported on basketball and even weightlifting for the 2001 Goodwill Games. For the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Cheryl was a women's basketball analyst and a men's basketball reporter for NBC.

Before joining Turner Sports, Cheryl worked for ABC Sports and ESPN from 1987 to 1993. She was a reporter for ABC's Wide World of Sports and a commentator for college basketball games. She also reported from the field for the 1987 Little League World Series and was a correspondent for the 1988 Calgary Olympics.

Awards and Honors for Cheryl Miller

Cheryl Miller has received many awards and honors throughout her career:

• 1984 – Winner of the Honda Sports Award for basketball
• 1984 – WBCA Player of the Year
• 1984 – The Honda-Broderick Cup winner for all sports
• 1985 – Winner of the Honda Sports Award for basketball
• 1985 – Wade Trophy winner
• 1985 – WBCA Player of the Year
• 1991 – Inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame
• 2010 – Inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame
• 2024 – Inducted into the California Hall of Fame

See also

In Spanish: Cheryl Miller para niños