The WNBA All-Star Game may just be an exhibition, but that doesn’t mean the players involved don’t want to win. Just ask Cheryl Miller, who will be coaching the squad representing the W against the roster making up Team USA for the Olympics. Miller said her group wants to “beat the brakes” off the team heading to Paris. Adding, “We got a game folks.”
Of course there is extra attention around the format given Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark will suit up for Miller and was notably not picked to represent USA basketball. Clark praised Miller’s energy ahead of the contest in discussing how much she is looking forward to playing. Cheryl of course has a special connection to Phoenix, site of the festivities, beyond just her status as a basketball icon. Miller was the first head coach of the Mercury.
Clark’s Fever All-Star teammate Aliyah Boston tried to soften coach Miller’s comments a bit saying, “We definitely want to win. We said in the huddle that winning is fun.” Indiana’s other All-Star Kelsey Mitchell added that Cheryl clearly communicated her own desire to get the victory to the squad. While Caitlin again emphasized her excitement for being under the tutelage of one of her idols when the trio fielded questions together.
CC has made the Olympics omission look extra silly of late in putting up unprecedented numbers on the court while working her way up the MVP rankings. All eyes will be on her, her Fever teammates, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, and the rest of the team representing the WNBA as they attempt to take down Team USA. We don’t know how much additional motivation there actually is for Clark heading into the contest, but if the words of the coach are any indication, she and her All-Star teammates really want to win. Big.
