The best of this day in NBA sports history. June 10. The first woman to play in a men’s professional league, and the first woman drafted in the NBA. What happened on this day in NBA sports history?
First Woman Playing In a Men’s Professional League
Nancy Lieberman broke barriers in professional basketball. At 27, she became the first woman to play in a regular season men’s professional game in the American Basketball League’s Springfield Fame victory over Staten Island 122-107.
She scored 10 points and added two assists, playing in the second and fourth quarters. Nicknamed “Lady Magic,” she also played and coached in the WNBA. She was hired as an assistant coach by the Sacramento Kings, becoming the second female assistant coach in NBA history. She later became a broadcaster with the New Orleans Pelicans.
First Woman Drafted In the NBA
Lusia Harris, of Delta State, was selected by the New Orleans Jazz in the seventh round of the NBA Draft. She became the first woman to be selected by an NBA team.
Harris was a three-time National Tournament MVP and led Delta State to three consecutive championships. Considered the best basketball player in the United States, given the lack of a women’s professional league, she was drafted, but it was largely a publicity stunt. She was pregnant at the time. Harris never played in the NBA or any other men’s basketball league.
Final Thoughts: This Day In NBA Sports History
This day was special because I didn’t know a woman had ever been officially drafted into the NBA, but I did know some outstanding female players who were balling against men. Without a doubt, both women, each in their own right, paved the way for the new female basketball athletes we see playing in the WNBA today.
It is worth mentioning that this league is slowly gaining followers, and the players are evolving rapidly.
The market for women’s basketball is still developing, but the sport will undoubtedly always be one of the best investments. If you missed the last article entitled This Day In NBA Sports History, read about it here on June 9.
