Miller, Cheryl (1964-…), is one of the greatest players in the history of women’s basketball. A 6-foot 2-inch (188-centimeter) small forward, she led high school, university, and international teams to championships. Injuries forced Miller to retire from play at the age of 24. However, Miller continued to work in basketball and held positions as a television analyst, coach, and executive. 
Cheryl DeAnn Miller was born in Riverside, California, on Jan. 3, 1964, into an athletic family. An older brother, Darrell, played Major League Baseball, and her younger brother Reggie also became a star basketball player. In Cheryl’s four years at Riverside Polytechnic High School, she led the team to a 132-4 record. She gained national attention in 1982 after scoring 105 points in a single game. She was a four-time high school All-American and led her team to the 1982 state championship.
Miller attended the University of Southern California (USC), leading her team to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in 1983 and 1984. She was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament both years. She was named the Naismith Player of the Year in 1984, 1985, and 1986. She also played for the United States team that won the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. She led the U.S. team to international tournament titles in 1986. Before the founding of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in 1996, opportunities for women to play basketball professionally in the United States were limited. She retired as a player after knee injuries prevented her from participating in the 1988 Olympics.
Off the court, Miller became an assistant coach at USC and worked as a basketball analyst on television. She was head coach of USC from 1993 to 1995. From 1997 to 2000, she served as coach and general manager of the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. She later served as head coach of teams at Langston University and California State University, Los Angeles. Miller was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. When her brother Reggie was elected in 2012, the siblings became the first brother and sister to be inducted. In 2018, the Hall of Fame established the Cheryl Miller Award to honor the top small forwards in women’s college basketball.
