Cheryl Miller won six gold medals in her USA Basketball career, which was cut short due to injury. The 1984 Olympic gold medalist also helped put the USA atop the podium and end the USSR’s long-running domination in women’s basketball with gold medals at the 1986 Goodwill Games and FIBA World Cup.
USA Basketball Notes
- Gold medals: 1981 U.S. Olympic Festival South Team, 1983 Pan American Games, 1984 R. Williams Jones Cup, 1984 Olympics, 1986 Goodwill Games, 1986 FIBA World Cup.
- Silver medal: 1983 FIBA World Cup.
- Honors: 1984 and 1986 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year; inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010.
- Played on seven USA Basketball teams between 1981 and 1986; compiled six gold medals and one silver medal and an overall record of 40-3 (.930 winning percentage) in a USA jersey during official competitions.
- At the 1986 FIBA Word Cup in Moscow, Russia, won a gold medal with a 7-0 record; scored a team-high 24 points in the gold medal game against the USSR.
- In the USA women’s FIBA World Cup record book: for single-competition records, lists third and fourth for points averaged (18.0 ppg. in 1986 and 17.6 ppg. in 1983), second and sixth for steals (30 in 1983 and 23 in 1986) and second and third for steals averaged (3.8 in 1983 and 3.3 in 1986); in single-game highs, lists first for free throws made and attempted (17-23 FTs vs. Soviet Union on Aug. 6, 1983) and first for steals (seven vs. Hungary on Aug. 10, 1986); in the career records, lists sixth for points (267 in 1986 and 1983), eighth for rebounds (90 in 1986 and 1983) and first for steals (53 in 1986 and 1983).
- Played for the USA at the inaugural Goodwill Games in 1986; helped the USA to a 5-0 record and gold medal in Moscow, Russia; led the team in scoring with 20.6 points per game.
- In the USA women’s Goodwill Games record book: for single-competition highs, lists first for total points (103 in 1986), third for rebounds (48 in 1986) and tied for third in steals (13 in 1986); for single-game highs, lists first for points (26 vs. Brazil on July 6, 1986), tied for first in field goals made (10 vs. Brazil on July 6, 1986), first for field goals attempted (23 vs. Bulgaria on July 9, 1986), first for free throws made (10 vs. Czechoslovakia on July 7, 1986) and attempted (14 vs. Czechoslovakia on July 7, 1986) and first for steals (six vs. Bulgaria on July 9, 1986).
- After winning gold medals at the 1986 Goodwill Games and 1986 FIBA World Cup, earned her second USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year award.
- Helped lead the USA to a gold medal and 6-0 record at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles; averaged a team-high 16.5 points per game.
- In the USA women’s Olympic record book: for single-competition highs, lists first for points averaged (16.5 ppg. in 1984); and for career records lists first for points averaged, tied for fourth for rebounds averaged (7.0 rpg. In 1984), seventh for field goal percentage (.661, 37-56 FGs in 1984), fourth for assists averaged (4.2, 25 in 1984), third for blocked shots averaged (1.0, 6 in 1984) and third for steals averaged (3.2 spg. in 1984).
- Won a gold medal while helping the USA to an 8-0 record at the 1984 R. William Jones Cup in Taipei, Taiwan; led the team in scoring (15.1 ppg.) and rebounding (4.4 rpg.) and collected a tied-for-team-high 27 steals.
- Following gold medals at the 1984 Olympics and 1984 R. Williams Jones Cup, was named the 1984 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year.
- At the 1983 FIBA World Cup in Brazil, helped the USA to a 6-2 record and silver medal; fell to the USSR in the gold medal game; led the USA in scoring at 17.6 points per game and was tied for the rebounding high with 4.4 rebounds per game.
- As a member of the USA’s 1983 Pan American Games Team, helped the USA to a 5-0 record and gold medal in Caracas, Venezuela.
- In the USA women’s Pan American Games record book: for single-competition records, lists first for points averaged (19.8 in 1983) and fourth for field goal percentage (.691, 38-55 FGs); for single-game highs, lists tied for first for points (30 vs. Cuba on Aug. 23, 1983); and for career records, lists 11th for points (99, 19.8 ppg. in 1983) and third for field goal percentage (.691, 38-55 FGs in 1983).
- Played on the South Team at the 1981 U.S. Olympic Festival, helping the South team to a 3-1 record and gold medal at the event.
Basketball Honors & Notes
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995 and the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.
- Member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in the inaugural class in 1999.
- Was forced to retire due to injury at 24 years old.
- Drafted into the United States Basketball League (men’s league) in 1986 but was not able to play due to injury.
