Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller has issued a sharp rebuke to Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, dismissing their recent declarations about the WNBA as unwelcome distractions during a critical point in the season.
Speaking to TMZ Sports at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, Miller made clear she has little patience for the pair's commentary on the women's professional basketball league.
"I'm not giving them, those two, in particular, a whole lot of thought, because there's outsiders looking to hijack our network," Miller told TMZ.com. "It's horrible energy. It's horrible energy."
The legendary player, who revolutionized women's basketball during her playing career, suggested that Kanter Freedom and White had missed their opportunity to engage meaningfully with the league.
"I would have loved to see these two sitting courtside, you know, watching the game 30 years ago, 20 years ago, 5 years ago, 5 minutes ago. But now all of a sudden, y'all got a collective think tank? Man, shut that noise up," Miller told TMZ.com.
Miller emphasized that her focus remains squarely on the competitive action as the regular season enters its final stretch. With 13 games remaining before the playoffs begin, the battle for playoff positioning has intensified across the league.
"All I'm focused on, for real, for real, 100%, is 13 games remaining in The Dub. Playoffs are around the corner. You got spots four, five, six, seven, and eight battling to get home court position. That's what my focus is about," Miller told TMZ.com.
While dismissing the current controversy, Miller acknowledged that discussions surrounding transgender participation in women's sports will eventually require thoughtful consideration from league stakeholders.
"I would definitely let cooler heads prevail right now," Cheryl told TMZ.com. "We want to protect everyone. And we don't want to exclude anyone, but I just think we all have to sit down in the off-season and collectively get our heads and minds around this issue. Obviously, it's a hotbed."
Miller also addressed recent criticism surrounding a hard foul by DiJonai Carrington on Sophie Cunningham, which resulted in an ejection after officials upgraded the play to a Flagrant 2 upon review. The Hall of Famer rejected characterizations of the incident as a major controversy.
"It's not a fiasco. It was a hard foul. She was ejected for it. She wasn't suspended the next game, so play on," Miller told TMZ.com.
Despite the various controversies swirling around the league, Miller identified a positive outcome from the heightened attention and debate.
"Because it's all eyes on the W," she told TMZ.com, referencing the increased visibility the WNBA has received amid the discussions.
The comments from Miller come as the WNBA continues to experience unprecedented growth in viewership and public interest, with the league's competitive balance creating compelling storylines as teams jockey for playoff advantage in the final weeks of the regular season.