I always laugh when I tell my friends some random story about my life in passing and I say, “I never told you guys this story?”

The response is USUALLY, “NO, I WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED”

(They are no longer surprised because my life is a series of random events that don’t make sense because who else had Cher surprise them while I was singing and washing my hands because I thought I was alone? To be fair, we both pretended like she didn’t hear me being ridiculous in the bathroom.)

Anyway. I was telling a friend that I went to a housewarming at my cousin’s house and I always forget that her dad’s family is TALL*. Like. Basketball tall. All of them. Including her auntie (my uncle’s sis). My uncle*, I’m PRETTY SURE played college basketball for (f)UCLA. His sister though, went to USC.

Me: So, anyway, when I was a kid, my uncle used to take us to Women’s basketball games at USC, and I definitely remember (the point of this whole entire email) watching his sister play with Cheryl Miller. (Ta-da!)

*cracks knuckles*

Cheryl Miller is regarded as one of the baddest mfers greatest women’s basketball players of all time. Before she even GOT to college, she was the first player, male OR female, to be named an All American by Parade magazine 4 times. She was Street & Smith’s national High School Player of the Year in both 1981 and 1982. In her senior year she scored 105 points in a game against Norte Vista High School. I promise that is a SFW link. Please go look because LMAO.

At USC, she scored 3,018 career points (tenth all-time in NCAA history) and was a four-time All-American; her career rebounding mark of 1,534 ranks her third all-time in NCAA history. Miller was named Naismith College Player of the Year three times and earned the Wade Trophy (Player of the Year) once. She led the Trojans to a 112–20 record and NCAA champion titles in 1983 and 1984 and was named NCAA Tournament MOP both years. In her senior season, Miller picked up her third Naismith Award, the Broderick Award as the Female College Basketball Player of the Year and Sports Illustrated named her the best player in college basketball, male OR female. Cheryl still holds a PILE of Trojan career records including points  and rebounds (3,018/1,534 respectively) (Hey Erica, I’m sure you know Cherie is 2nd in points and 3rd in rebounds, BUT IN CASE YOU DIDN’T, now you do!)

AND. In 1996, USC retired her #31 jersey, the first retired jersey of a basketball player, male OR female. Just last year, the Associated Press selected Miller as one of the greatest collegiate players in the women’s poll era.

She went on to do regular post sportsball things and still managed to trailblaze by becoming the first female analyst to call a nationally televised NBA game. She’s currently the head coach for the Cal State LA Golden Eagles and is part-owner of the UpShot League a new development women’s professional basketball league in the United States, set to have its debut season in May 2026.

So that’s the story of how I got to see one of the best to EVER do it, do it. And also how nobody knows how to humble you like a sibling (If that doesn’t make sense, you didn’t click the link)

And that’s it for today folks! You won’t see me tomorrow because I’m on vacation and I take my vacations seriously. But fear not (or fear, whatever makes this fun for you), I’ll be back with more Black people doing things y’all didn’t know about because nobody wants to give Black people their flowers! Byeeeee

*if you know anything about me at all, is that extremely tall people are NOT MY JAM, and that I once got chased by a basketball player who was LITERALLY SEVEN FEET TALL and I did not like that at all. And that is why abnormally tall people ain’t beating these charges

**my uncle/ my mom’s best friend’s (ex)husband