Did a Woman Get Drafted to the NBA?
Did a Woman Get Drafted to the NBA?
By Fan Arch July 31, 2024 06:52
The men largely eclipse the story of women's participation in professional basketball. However, a truly monumental step-up happened in 1977 when Lusia Harris was the only female drafted by an NBA team to date. This article examines this historic event, what gender equality means in sports, and where women stand across professional basketball.
Background on Lusia Harris
Lusia Harris, born Feb. 10, 1955, in rural Mississippi, would rise to prominence as a basketball phenom during her days at Delta State University. She towered at 6-3 and, along with contemporaries Lucille Kyvallos and Patricia Head. She played as one of the first women to be offered an athletic scholarship, averaging 25.9 points per game.
Harris' route to the NBA Draft started with her tremendously good play at Delta State, which provided her not only with a springboard as an elite scorer but also turned her into a national team player for USA Basketball. She famously scored the first points in Olympic women's basketball history during a 1976 Olympics game in Montreal, where she won silver with Team USA.
Harris was selected by the New Orleans Jazz with the 137th overall pick in the seventh round of the June 10, 1977, NBA Draft, held at Madison Square Garden. She became the first and only woman ever to be drafted by an NBA team. Still, Harris was unable to take part in the team's training camp and ultimately could not attempt to play for an NBA berth as she gave birth that June.
What It Will Mean for a Woman to Be Drafted in the NBA
Lusia Harris' selection has massive implications for female athletes. Throughout history, women have been denied many opportunities in professional men's sports, as well as not being taken seriously and systemic bias. Despite its beginnings in 1946, professional basketball, at least the NBA, was considered a man's game, so when Nancy Lieberman first set her sights on playing three decades later, she met skepticism.
Harris's selection was a landmark moment in challenging the typecasting in sports. It illustrated the possibilities of elite-level women's basketball and continued to open doors for future female athletes. The presence of a female in the NBA Draft also contributed to further discussion about gender equality, which sought new ways to apply concepts and lessons learned from sports participation more broadly.
Process and Controversy
Although Lusia Harris was the first female to be drafted, history fulfilled its promise of controversy. The Golden State Warriors draft of Denise Long had been blocked by the NBA in 1969 because she was female. While Long was a star in high school, the league's move to nullify her drafting highlighted society's perceptions of women when it came to professional basketball.
The New Orleans Jazz's selection of Harris, on the other hand, went completely unchallenged and showed an evolution in how the league was viewing things. However, Harris never played an NBA game, which begs the question of whether her drafting was real. Her critics have argued that although it was groundbreaking, she never got the chance to perform at an NBA level, so it would never prove a path for actual women playing in the male league.
Most applauded her selection as a historic step for women in sports; however, some were skeptical of how serious the NBA was about elevating female athletes.
Effect of the NBA and Lusia Harris's Career
Harris' selection followed a different career arc. After her time at Delta State, she played for the Houston Angels of the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) during the 1979-80 season and gained recognition in a league that only lasted three years. Harris remained an influence on women's basketball well beyond her days as a player; she eventually became a coach and teacher, mentoring the minds of future athletes.
Lusia Harris's groundbreaking 1977 draft selection still marks a key moment in the league. Although she never reduced that quest to an NBA contract plaque, her status as a pioneering female in sports is unimpeachable. Her story serves as a reminder of the obstacles women have long been forced to overcome in professional basketball and, more significantly, how these struggles for gender parity continue in sports at large.
SHOP Mystery Signed Memorabilia
-
Mystery Signed Football 8x10 Photo
- Regular price
- $29.99
- Regular price
-
- Sale price
- $29.99
- Unit price
- per
-
Mystery Signed Baseball Jersey
- Regular price
- $69.99
- Regular price
-
- Sale price
- $69.99
- Unit price
- per
-
Mystery Signed Football Jersey
- Regular price
- $69.99
- Regular price
-
- Sale price
- $69.99
- Unit price
- per
-
Mystery Signed Baseball 8x10 Photo
- Regular price
- $29.99
- Regular price
-
- Sale price
- $29.99
- Unit price
- per
LATEST
- NEWS
- |
- ARTICLES
- |
- VIDEOS
FAN ARCH PODCAST NETWORK
