Miller Released From Hospital With a Neck Strain, Concussion

Cheryl Miller was released from the hospital Sunday, with a big headache and a lot of questions. The first one: What happened?

Miller apparently doesn’t remember the events after she slammed to the floor late in the basketball game Saturday between USC and UCLA. She didn’t recall being taken from the floor on a stretcher, nor being taken from the arena in an ambulance.

The effects of Miller’s jarring collision with another player and the hard fall left Miller with a mild concussion and a neck strain.

Miller was admitted for observation Saturday night to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. At 1 a.m. she was transferred to Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer hospital, where she was released Sunday morning.

“She’s got a headache and she’s tired,” USC Coach Linda Sharp said Sunday. “She really didn’t remember what happened. She just knew there had been a collision.”

Sharp said Miller is expected to be out of action for at least a week and she does not expect her to play in USC’s home game against San Diego State Tuesday night.

With 5:44 left in Saturday’s game the senior drove the left side of the lane and attempted what Sharp called “an NBA move”.

“She was trying to split (between) two players, that’s a James Worthy move she picked up on television,” Sharp said. She said she has watched the game film several times and still isn’t sure exactly what happened.

“She took off too soon,” Sharp said. “I thought she was out of control and off balance. Tessa Franken (UCLA guard) had her arms up, she might have hit (Cheryl). I don’t know. Then it appears she (Miller) hit the back of (UCLA’s) Dora Dome.

“I didn’t see her fall, but she usually gets up. When she didn’t get up, I knew something was wrong.”

USC won the game, 89-67.

Sharp said Miller, a three-time All-American, has established a reputation for diving, scrambling play.

“When she was a freshman and she was cavorting over tables and under tables and up three rows in the seats, I told her ‘You’d better take it easy or you’re never going to last four years at USC’,” Sharp said. “She also takes her share of hits.”

Sharp has noted that Miller has been taking a beating from opponents this season. Three weeks ago, after several black eyes, an elbow caught Miller in the eye. That injury required four stitches on her eyeball.

“We were joking with her last night that we are going to put her in a full-body cast,” Sharp said. “That’s so when opponents hit her or kick her, they will break their hand and foot.”