Candace Parker Backs Caitlin Clark’s Viral Reaction to Reggie Miller’s Live TV Comparison

Candace Parker disagreed with Reggie Miller's comparison of Caitlin Clark to Payton Pritchard.

Candace Parker Backs Caitlin Clark’s Viral Reaction to Reggie Miller’s Live TV Comparison

Candace Parker on Caitlin Clark's reaction to Reggie Miller's comparison (Image credits - Firstsportz)

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With the WNBA in its offseason, WNBA and Indiana Fever star point guard Caitlin Clark made her debut on NBC’s pregame studio show. Clark signed on for two nights as a “special contributor”. She made her appearance at Madison Square Garden as the Los Angeles Lakers took on the New York Knicks on February 1. The Knicks came out on top with a 112-100 victory.

Caitlin Clark was the prime feature alongside host Maria Taylor and analysts Carmelo Anthony and Reggie Miller. Apart from the game, the four of them spoke about various other topics, such as Clark’s favorite basketball players, the WNBA CBA negotiations, and shared a few laughs.

The WNBA star is known for her poise both on and off the court. During their conversation, Taylor asked Miller if he had an NBA player comparison to Clark. His response surprised many as he compared her to Boston Celtics’ Payton Pritchard. His answer took her by surprise and wiped a smile off her face. While Pritchard is a valuable player for the Celtics, he is a backup guard.

Former WNBA legend and champion Candace Parker spoke in support of the young Fever star and disagreed with Miller’s comparisons.

Bless his heart, I love Reggie think he meant well honestly, I mean there’s some dudes that don’t mean well, but there’s some dudes that mean well, but Boston Celtics weren’t even playing that night. Love you, Reg, love you, HOF’er your sister’s a HOF’er, respects the woman’s game than anybody, but I am going to have to disagree with you on that.

Clark’s influence in the WNBA is undeniable. She is the most-sought out stars and has helped the WNBA grow significantly. Hence, it was unfair to compare her to Pritchard, instead of influential stars such as Stephen Curry or LeBron James.

Paul Pierce calls out Miller over Caitlin Clark-Payton Pritchard comparisons

In Miller’s defense, the former Indiana Pacers star praised Clark, calling her the best shooter in Indiana and one of the greatest shooters of all time. The comparison to Pritchard did not sit well with many.

Former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce is known for not shying away from speaking his mind. The former Finals MVP was quick to disapprove of the comparisons completely on the “No Fouls Given” podcast.

Caitlin Clark was all smiles when Reggie Miller was praising her
Caitlin Clark and Reggie Miller (Image via Indiana Pacers/X)

This is an embarrassment. She has the look of like, ‘I was thinking more Steph Curry,’ her gravitational pull is on the same level as Steph’s in the WNBA.

Clark is the primary scorer of her team. Her style of play has reshaped how defenses play and how basketball is viewed in the WNBA. She averages double the points of Pritchard’s average, is known for her vision, and is widely regarded as one of the best passers in the league today.

Candace Parker explains why Caitlin Clark is different from Curry

Pierce compared Clark to Stephen Curry in terms of impact on the opposition’s defense. She is no stranger to excessive physical play from her peers, similar to what Curry has been through in his 17-year NBA career.

However, Parker believes the Clark-Curry comparisons are not wholly accurate. On her “Post Moves” podcast with Aliyah Boston, Parker highlighted the difference in play style between Curry and Clark.

Steph Curry’s off the ball a lot, and Caitlin’s not. So I think it’s kind of like a hard comparison because just like when they were making that Trae Young comparison of, like, he’s like Steph Curry, and I’m like, no, he’s not, because he has the ball in his hands all the time.

While Parker did say both players have amazing range, the main difference between the two, according to her, is their ball-handling duties. Clark dominates the ball as a point guard, whereas Curry more often generates shots away from the ball. But at the end of the day, Clark deserved a lot better than Miller’s response.

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