Lindsey Harding

Lindsey Harding is a former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), head coach of the Stockton Kings, and an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings. In her role with Stockton, she is the first-ever Black female head coach in the NBA G League and the first woman to be named coach of the year in the league. A trailblazing figure, she is renowned for her exceptional skills on the court and her pioneering contributions off of it. In July 2024, it was announced that she would join the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach.

Harding was a standout point guard at Duke University, where she earned numerous accolades including being named a two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year and the 2007 Naismith College Player of the Year. She would later have her number 10 jersey retired by the university. She was enshrined into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018, becoming the third women’s basketball student-athlete to be inducted.

Harding was selected as the first overall pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury, marking a historic moment as one of the highest-drafted Black female players at that time. Her professional career spanned over a decade, during which she played for various teams including the Minnesota Lynx, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Los Angeles Sparks, and New York Liberty. She also played internationally in Turkey, Lithuania and Russia and participated in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games as an integral part of the Belarus women’s national basketball team.

When her playing career ended, Harding transitioned into coaching and front-office roles, breaking barriers as the Philadelphia 76ers' first female assistant coach and the league's first African-American female to be a full-time NBA scout.

Off the court, Harding is involved in philanthropy and community engagement. She uses her platform to advocate for social justice causes, empowering the next generation through basketball clinics and mentorship programs.