Why is Cheryl Miller coaching at WNBA All-Star Game? Basketball icon leading team with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese

The stars of the WNBA today are going to be shining on the court in Phoenix on Saturday night when Team USA takes on the WNBA All-Stars. However, the brightest one of them all may be on the sidelines in a coaching role.

Cheryl Miller, the women's basketball icon, is coaching the WNBA All-Star team tonight. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Arike Ogunbowale, and Aliyah Boston are a handful of players who get the honor of playing underneath the USC sensation, at least for one game.

"What she’s done for us and paved the way for us to even be here, we’re eternally grateful for," Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell said of Miller . "And I think we can do right by her by competing as best as we can."

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Women's basketball has been on a rapid rise in popularity over the last handful of seasons, thanks to the emergence of stars like Clark and Reese. However, before those two were even born, Miller was the face of women's hoops, dominating the game at the NCAA and international levels.

"Just to be in the same gym with her and on the same sideline is an honor," Connecticut Sun forward DeWanna Bonner said . "All of this is because of her. She started this."

Why exactly is Miller coaching at the WNBA All-Star Game? The Sporting News explains.

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Why is Cheryl Miller coaching at WNBA All-Star Game?

It's a full-  circle moment for Miller on Saturday night.

She was named the first head coach of the Mercury back in 1996 when the league was founded and now gets the chance to return to the same area she coached for four seasons.

At first, Miller declined the invitation to take the lead for the All-Star team. She hasn't coached for a number of seasons and wasn't interested in getting back into it. However, she eventually came around to the idea of maybe one exception.

"I mean, what coach on the planet wouldn’t want to be in this situation?" Miller said . "How cool is this?"

Miller will be joined on the sideline by former Phoenix star Adrian Williams. On the opposing side will be Team USA and Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, coaching the 12 women who will be heading to Paris to play in the Olympics next week.

"I was excited—like, really, really excited," Miller said. "Until I found out the team I’m coaching wants to beat the brakes off the Olympic team. I’m like, okay, pressure’s on. Now we’ve got a game, folks."

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Cheryl Miller coaching history

Miller first started coaching at her alma mater after graduation, acting as an assistant coach for the Trojans from 1986-91. She took over as head coach in 1993, coaching for two seasons before she earned a gig in the WNBA.

Miller was named the first head coach of the Phoenix Mercury in 1996. She was at the helm of the club for four seasons before resigning in 2000.

In 2014, she was named the head basketball coach at Langston University, an HBCU school out of Oklahoma. Miller returned to the West Coast in 2016 when she was named head coach at Cal State LA.

Did Cheryl Miller play in the WNBA?

Miller is considered one of the greatest women's basketball players of all time; however, she never suited up in the WNBA.

The professional league was not around when Miller graduated from USC, as it was not until 1996 that the WNBA was founded. She likely would have played in the league if not for knee injuries that cut her career short.

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The phenom was a standout forward at USC, where she made a name for herself on the national stage. She helped the Trojans to two national championships, winning it all in 1983 and 1984. Her 3,018 career points rank 10th all-time in NCAA history, and 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.

In addition to USC, Miller played for Team USA in 1983 at the World Championships, earning silver after losing to the USSR. In 1984, she helped the USA to an Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles. She played for the red, white, and blue at the inaugural Goodwill games in 1986, and she also represented the USA at the 1986 World Championships.