It’s highly unlikely that a woman will ever play in the NBA, since even the tallest female would have trouble dealing with the size, strength, and athleticism of a men’s basketball league (picture Manute Bol guarding Shaq in the post). Even still, few would argue that WNBA superstar Candace Parker, for one, has less pure talent than the likes of Kwame Brown, Darko Milicic, and of course, her husband Shelden Williams. As 6′8″ college freshman Brittney Griner continues to dominate against female competition and spark debate over whether she could be the first woman to break the barrier, let’s take a look at some of the NBA’s female basketball pioneers (insert Joakim Noah joke here).
Nancy Lieberman: Before her storied WNBA career, which included a brief comeback as a player last season at age 50 (take that, Jordan!), Lieberman was the first woman to play against men professionally in the United States Basketball League. She later attended NBA summer camps with the Lakers and Jazz in the mid-80’s, and became the first woman to play for the Washington Generals. Unfortunately, she still couldn’t help them beat the Harlem Globetrotters. Last week, Lieberman became the first female head coach in NBDL history, and could eventually become the first woman to coach in the NBA. Not to mention, she’s still smoking hot for a 51-year-old. Um, let’s move on.
Lusia Harris: Harris remains the first and only woman to be drafted by an NBA team after she was selected in the seventh round of the 1977 Draft (137th overall) by the New Orleans Jazz. Because she was pregnant at the time, team officials believed they owned the future draft rights to her unborn child (this actually happened, I kid you not). Although she never played in the NBA, Harris became the first female inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and would still undoubtedly play better defense for the Jazz than Carlos Boozer.
Ann Meyers: In September 1979, Meyers inked a $50,000 contract with the Indiana Pacers, becoming the first and only woman to sign with and try out for an NBA team. She didn’t end up making the final cut, since clearly, when you have the chance to keep Corky Calhoun and John Kuester, you’ve got to do it. Many have since argued that Meyer’s invitation was largely a publicity stunt by the cash-starved Pacers, hardly surprising since Indiana reportedly lost close to $30 million last season. So, what’s Candace’s number again?
Cheryl Miller: Way before Candace Parker, there was Cheryl Miller, who is still widely considered as a better basketball player than her NBA All-Star brother, Reggie. Drafted by the USBL a few years after Lieberman, Miller’s playing career was derailed after a series of knee injuries. She’s served as an NBA broadcaster for TNT Sports, and became the first female analyst to call a nationally televised NBA game in 1996. And in case anyone was wondering if she could’ve held her own against male competition, Miller defended herself splendidly against Scot Pollard.
Violet Palmer: Palmer (along with Denise Kantner), became the first woman to referee a regular season game for any all-male professional sports league on October 31, 1997. Palmer remains the only female among the league’s 59-member officiating staff, and became the first woman to referee an NBA playoff game in 2006. While her officiating competence has come under scrutiny, any basketball fan would gladly take her over Bennett Salvatore (one of my favorite clips ever, by the way).
My fondest memory of Palmer was the time Jason Kidd slapped her on the butt during her first season. While the commentators laughed at the incident, Palmer acted as if nothing happened. It was just the right amount of awkwardness and awesomeness that always made me appreciate her style. And made me realize that Jason Kidd is a douche.
