Caitlin Clark’s Memory Lures Sue Bird’s Special “Shoutout” to NCAA’s 5-Star Prospect
“I’ve been college-ready since I’ve been in elementary school,” Rutgers women’s basketball highest-ranked recruit under Coquese Washington said and well, it is showing. A 27-point game in the debut season to start, Kiyomi McMiller now adds a career-first double-double to her name. No wonder she caught Sue Bird’s eyes, reminding her of the impact of some of the recent basketball greats — Caitlin Clark to be specific.
On the latest episode of her podcast, “A Touch More,” along with fiance Megan Rapinoe, Bird discussed UCLA’s jump to the top college basketball rankings and how UConn, USC, and TCU contribute to the equation. Discussing players like Hailey Van Lith, working wonders for a program like TCU, the former Seattle Storm star was reminded of another new name making rounds – Kiyomi McMiller.
The Scarlet Knights 5-Star Prospect recorded her first career double-double with 25 points, six assists, and a career-high 11 rebounds in a game against Georgia South. But what caught Sue Bird’s eyes was her 3-point performance. The 5’8 guard went 3 for 5 from beyond the arc, bringing her overall percentage to 38.5. The instance had Bird bringing up the Logo threes queen, Caitlin Clark.
“I also wanna shout out Kiyomi McMiller, um, a guard from Rutgers; she had a monster game. it was against, I believe, Georgia Southern,” Bird began on the podcast. “So, not a top-25 team, but she had a 25-11-6, and it was her deep three that was kinda exciting. She was throwing them up there from the deep, And you know, is that the Caitlin Clark effect we used to call the Steph Curry effect? So I’m keeping my eye on her.”
This was one of McMiller’s better 3-point performances this season after going zero in the first two games and being limited to below 40% in two more. But the guard, known as one of the best ball handlers and shot-creators in women’s college basketball, also led Rutgers in 3-pointers, going 3 for 8, during her impressive 27-point performance against Princeton Tigers.
Considering Caitlin Clark passed Stephen Curry for the most 3-pointers in a single NCAA Division-I season and holds a career record of 548, it isn’t a surprise, Bird was reminded of the two stars that drove the moment.
USA Today via Reuters
So the former WNBA star isn’t wrong when she says she needs to keep her eye on McMiller. The freshman recorded her fourth 20+ point outing and sixth consecutive contest scoring in double figures, leading Rutgers to a decisive 77-60 victory over Georgia Southern.
But Sue Bird isn’t the only one who sees potential in her.
One word to describe Rutgers’ first piece of foundation: Dynamic
Kiyomi McMiller joined Rutgers over offers from top programs like LSU, Baylor, and Michigan. The reason? Her vision for herself aligned with that of the HC Coquese Washington. And if you ask the coach, he would describe the freshman as “dynamic.” She was the first piece of puzzle for the program Washington reveals as she notes the impact the guard has on the team.
“When you watch her play, when you see how her teammates feed off of her, she has elevated the competitiveness in the gym,” the coach opened up on Locked on Women’s Basketball podcast. “She’s elevated the play because of her ability, what she can do, her scoring ability, her passing ability, her defending ability, her speed.”
Through 8 games this season, McMiller has averaged 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Beyond the court, former CEO of Mayweather Promotions, and the one who helped Floyd Mayweather become the most lucrative pay-per-view attraction, believes her to be the next big thing. “Remember that name,” he says, now an advisor to her executive team. Maybe McMiller fetches more resemblance to Caitlin Clark beyond three-point shooting.
