Nancy Lieberman

Nancy "Lady Magic" Lieberman is a trailblazer in women's sports. Her extensive resume includes NBA Coach, WNBA player and coach, general manager, sports broadcaster for ABC, NBC, ESPN, and FOX Sports Southwest, motivational speaker, and author. In addition, Lieberman is a Basketball Hall of Famer, two-time Olympian, three-time All American, two-time collegiate national champion and a two-time National Player of the Year at Old Dominion University.

Lieberman made history as the second woman to join an NBA coaching staff in 2015, when she was hired as an Assistant Coach with the Sacramento Kings. Additionally, she was the first female coach of a men's team under the NBA umbrella when she served as the head coach for the Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks' NBA D-League team -- leading the expansion team to the playoffs in its first season.

Lieberman's basketball journey began on Harlem's asphalt courts where she quickly developed a reputation as a tough and gritty basketball powerhouse as a 15-year-old junior attending Far Rockaway High School. In 1975, she garnered one of 12 coveted spots on the USA's Women's National Basketball Team, catapulting her into the national spotlight. A year later, she brought home a silver medal at the World Championships and a gold medal at the Pan American Games. At 18 years old, she earned a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, becoming the youngest basketball player, male or female, in Olympic history to medal.

Lieberman exploded onto the college scene, attending Old Dominion University on a full athletic scholarship. She earned the nickname “Lady Magic” and led the Lady Monarchs to two consecutive National Championships and a WNIT Championship. Lieberman became the first-ever two-time winner of the prestigious Wade Trophy, which recognizes the "Player of the Year" in women's college basketball. She was also selected as the Broderick Award Winner for Basketball as the top women's player in America. In addition, she received three consecutive Kodak All-American honors during her collegiate career, making her one of the most decorated female athletes in the United States.

In 1981, Lieberman was the first draft pick by the Dallas Diamonds in the first Women’s Professional Basketball League. She played professionally for more than 20 years, including coming out of retirement to play in the WNBA’s inaugural 1997 season at the age of 39. At that point, she had already been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

After retiring as a player, Lieberman went on to coach in the WNBA as head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock, leading the expansion team to the playoffs. Later, Lieberman took on another leadership role, as president of the Women's Sports Foundation for two years. She also served as head coach of the Dallas Fury of the NWBL, guiding the team to a championship title.

Lieberman's career progressed into national commentating, motivational speaking and charitable endeavors. She is an influential communicator and has a passion for educating athletes and business leaders to improve efficiency and attain peak performance. She has been featured by Nike, Bank of America, FedEx, and JP Morgan, among others, to shed light on topics including business, sports, image and self-esteem, teamwork, winning, DEI, racial and social justice, and women working in a man's world. Philanthropically, guiding youngsters and helping the disadvantaged has always been a passion for Lieberman and is the reason Nancy Lieberman Charities was born.

Lieberman sits on the Board of Governors for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA Retired Players Association.