Welcome to Keller’s Korner. This week I’m writing about one of the greatest women basketball players ever – Nancy Lieberman. She was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1958 but grew up in Queens. Nancy was raised in a Jewish home where two of her grandparents were Holocaust survivors. As Nancy told me recently on the phone, “I grew up a big Knicks fan and Walt Frazier and Willis Reed inspired me so much.” Nancy loved playing basketball with the boys and did not play with the girls until she attended Far Rockaway High School.
At just 16 years old, Nancy earned a spot on the National women’s basketball team. They won the gold medal at the Pan American Games. When she was 17 years old, Nancy was on the 1976 USA Olympic basketball team. When I asked Nancy about winning a medal at the 1976 Olympics, she replied, “It was one of the most incredible events in my life. I was 17 years old, and I am still the youngest man or woman to ever win a USA Olympic basketball medal.”
Nancy received over 100 college basketball scholarships. She picked Old Dominion University (ODU) in Virginia. Nancy led the Monarch to winning the 1978 NIT championship. The next two seasons, the Monarchs won the national championships! Nancy was voted to the All-American team in 1978, 1979 and 1980. She was twice named national college women’s basketball Player of the Year. When I asked Nancy what was her most memorable college game, she replied, “The time we played at Madison Square Garden. We were playing Queens College and I had 33 points, 15 rebounds, 14 assists and 10 steals. A quadruple double.” While playing for ODU, Nancy scored 2,430 points, had 1,167 rebounds and also should be noted that she had 562 steals. Oh, her 961 assists is still an ODU record.
When Nancy graduated from ODU in 1980, the Women’s Pro Basketball League (WBL) was in existence at this time. Being named the college Player of the Year, Nancy was obviously selected as the very first pick in the WBL draft by the Dallas Diamonds. She averaged 26 points per game during her rookie season. Everything was spectacular except that they lost to the Nebraska Wranglers in the 1981 WBL finals. Nancy won the WBL Rookie of the Year award.
Nancy was a tall guard at 5’10? and was often compared to Magic Johnson. In fact, she was given the nickname, “Lady Magic” as a comparison to Magic and his wizardry on the floor. Following her rookie season, Nancy played with the 1981 Los Angeles Lakers summer league team!! The WBL also folded at that time and Dallas Diamonds went to a new league in 1984 called the Women’s American Basketball Association (WABA). During the 1984 season, Nancy averaged a stunning 27 points per game and led the Diamonds to the WABA title.
With no women’s basketball leagues, in 1986, Nancy played in the United States Basketball League. She was the very first female to ever play in a professional men’s league. She also played with the Washington Generals who were most known for playing the Harlem Globetrotters. In 1996, Nancy was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. The WNBA finally began playing in 1997 and Nancy played for the Phoenix Mercury. In 1999, Nancy was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Detroit Shock signed Nancy to a contract in 2008 when she was 50 years old. Nancy told me, “I am the oldest woman to ever play in a WNBA game. It was fun to play for Coach Bill Laimbeer.”
In 2015, Nancy was an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA. She is now coaching in the “Big3 League”. Her son played for her and she told me, “It is the first time ever that a son played for his mother in a professional league. It was so cool.” Nancy loves watching the WNBA and simply wants to see great play, full arenas and high ratings. When asked about Jewish star Sue Bird, Nancy said, “She is amazing. One of the greatest winners the sport has ever had.” Nancy runs the Nancy Lieberman Charities and said, “We love to help the underserved communities. We want to be dream givers, not hope stealers.” Nancy is not only an inspiration to Jewish women but to everyone.
Neil Keller is a CPA and a Jewish historian. Visit his website, to learn who is Jewish in the world.
