Lindsey Harding, the top pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft, makes history as she becomes the first woman to serve as the head coach of an American men’s professional basketball team. Her debut game as head coach is set for Friday night.
At 39 years old, Harding will lead the Stockton Kings in their G League opener against the Santa Cruz Warriors in Santa Cruz. This makes her the only woman head coach in either the NBA or G League.
A standout player at Duke University, Harding was named the Naismith Player of the Year in 2007 and was also the first overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury. She has spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach for Sacramento, the Stockton Kings’ parent organization. Notably, she also serves as the head coach for the Mexican women’s national team and previously served in the same capacity for the South Sudan women’s team. Her No. 10 jersey was retired by Duke.
While women coaching in the NBA is still uncommon, there is a growing presence of female coaches working as player development coaches or in assistant roles. Becky Hammon, for example, has been a top assistant to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and made history as the first woman to act as head coach in an NBA game when Popovich was ejected against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 30, 2020. She also served as head coach for the Spurs during the NBA Summer League, a platform for up-and-coming players.
Lindsey Harding’s appointment as head coach marks a significant moment in the history of the NBA’s developmental league, formally known as the G League since 2017. Prior to this, during the era of the D League, Nancy Lieberman served as head coach for the Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks) from 2009 to 2011. Harding and Lieberman are the only full-time women head coaches in the NBA and its official minor league’s history.
In Division I college basketball, there are currently no women coaching men’s teams. However, former WNBA star Tamara Moore is breaking barriers as she coaches the men’s team at Mesabi Range College in Minnesota, a junior college.
(Photo: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Rachel Adams is your WNBA insider, delivering comprehensive coverage of women’s basketball. With a commitment to highlighting the talent and achievements of WNBA players, she provides game analysis, player profiles, and inspiring stories from the league.
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