Ex-WNBA superstar says move by Rutgers freshman reminds her of Allen Iverson

McMiller finished the game with 24 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and captured the attention of hoop heads on social media. One of the game’s greatest players, former WNBA superstar Sue Bird, gave her a shout-out Wednesday on her podcast, “A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe.”

“Really fun to watch,” said Bird, who compared McMiller’s spin move to the one NBA legend Allen Iverson did in a Reebok commercial in the late 1990s. 

McMiller’s male counterparts on campus, freshmen basketball standouts Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, have helped the school bask in the spotlight. Meanwhile, McMiller seems overlooked in the women’s game in which Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, Connecticut’s Paige Bueckers and Southern California’s JuJu Watkins have captured significant national attention.

There’s beauty in the hidden gem, though. New and exciting talents who inspire fans to pay attention are great for the game. Search McMiller’s highlights online and you’ll see an advanced skill set as a high schooler. In her last three years of high school ball, she tallied 2,015 points, 437 rebounds and 363 assists. 

McMiller is putting up 20 points a game, impressive for any college hooper, let alone a freshman. She’s shown an intriguing blend of flair and fundamentals. It’s nothing for McMiller to pull up from deep and drill a triple. Her high at Rutgers is 30 points against Fairleigh Dickinson. Game highlights showcase her handle, range and quick movements.  

You can tell she has a creativity that’s been encouraged and developed from an early age. In a SLAM story before starting her college career, McMiller said, “I want to be the person that other kids look up to, like they want to be creative and they want to be something outside the box.” 

In the same story, her dad, Mike McMiller, talked about his daughter’s mindset with training early on. 

“She was about being different. Just being different,” he said. “This is what the guys are doing. Why don’t I see the girls doing it? Oh, y’all don’t want to do it? But I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna bring that to the women’s game and let’s see ya’ll have to deal with it.” 

You can tell she’s spent hours in the gym working with and against highly skilled hoopers. The result is a player whose talent demands attention. In fact, McMiller was the first high school athlete to sign a Name, Image and Likeness deal with Jordan Brand, the iconic basketball company.

McMiller’s next opportunity to wow an audience is Saturday at home against Lafayette. 

Later, she’ll get a chance to perform against elite competition in the conference when Rutgers (7-4, 0-1 in the Big Ten) faces top-25 opponents Ohio State (Dec. 29), Maryland (Jan. 2) and Southern California (Jan. 5). The game against the Trojans will be a great showcase for McMiller and Watkins. On Jan. 23, the Scarlet Knights will host top-ranked UCLA, currently ranked No. 1. 

Expect McMiller to have her share of opportunities to put Rutgers on the list of teams to watch come tournament time in March. That will be the perfect time for her to show how different she really is.