© Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
What should have been a pleasant guest appears on NBC’s Basketball Night in America turned into an awkward segment between Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark and Pacers legend Reggie Miller on Sunday.
Clark joined the show prior to the debut of Sunday Night Basketball as the New York Knicks squared off with the Los Angeles Lakers.
At one point during the show, Miller, who serves as one of the hosts, was asked who in the NBA he feels Clark’s game best compares to.
His answer was not only unexpected, but it was also a slap in the face to Clark, who didn’t seem thrilled with what he had to say.
Reggie Miller Said Caitlin Clark’s Best NBA Comparison Is Payton Pritchard
The segment began with Miller praising Clark.
“There’s a new shooter from Indiana. I’m the third-best shooter in the state of Indiana now. It goes Caitlin [Clark], Tyrese [Haliburton], then now myself,” Miller said.
But when host Maria Taylor asked Miller about Clark’s NBA comparison, most expected to hear the name of a star play, like a Steph Curry, Jalen Brunson, or James Harden. Instead, Miller had a different idea.
“I like Payton Pritchard from Boston,” Miller said. “The way he’s able to handle the basketball, he makes big shots when the shot clock is running down, a lot like this young lady right here, isn’t afraid of the big moment and is a champion like she is soon to be.”
Caitlin Clark’s face reaction when Reggie Miller compared her game to Payton Pritchard is just 😂😂😂.
🎥 @TWDTV1 pic.twitter.com/K1bm22sIAX
— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (BlueSky too now) (@sluggahjells) February 2, 2026
Clark was visibly annoyed, as her face went from a smile to a blank stare, and understandably so.
No offense to Pritchard, who is an NBA champion, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, and currently serves as a starter for the Boston Celtics. But he is, by almost every possible assessment, a role player.
Clark, meanwhile, is one of the faces of the WNBA, and when she’s healthy, a force to be reckoned with on the offensive side of the ball.
While their play styles are similar, it’s an extremely unflattering comparison by Miller.
Most likely, he was just trying to sound well-informed. And he may not be wrong, strictly stylistically speaking. But he was given the chance to continue to hype Clark up and instead let all the air out of the balloon. It’s no surprise that Clark wasn’t overly happy with his assessment.