Nancy Lieberman
(Born 1958)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1996
Card Shown:
2009-10 Panini Hall of Fame
Famed Signatures
Position: PG
Height: 5’10”
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Nancy Lieberman, nicknamed “Lady Magic,” has had a long and varied career in professional basketball. Nancy starred in college at Old Dominion, played in the Olympics, and played in a few women’s professional leagues that were short-lived. She played briefly in the WNBA during its inaugural season. In 1986 Nancy became the first woman to play for a men’s professional team, the Springfield Flame of the USBL. In 1987-88, Lieberman played for the Washington Generals, the regular opponent of the Harlem Globetrotters, during their world tour. She has also served as an executive in the WNBA and a basketball broadcaster for ESPN and ABC. Nancy also runs annual basketball camps for children that she is actively involved in.
Awards and Honors
- Nancy played college basketball at Old Dominion, where she led the team to back-to-back AIAW championships in 1979 and 1980. She led the Lady Monarchs to an overall record of 72-2 during her college career and was named an All-American three times.
- In 1979 and 1980, Lieberman won the coveted Wade Trophy as the best women’s college basketball player in the country.
- When Lieberman won a silver medal in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada, she became the youngest basketball player in history to win a medal in the Olympics. She was 18 years old.
- Nancy also won a gold medal at the Pan-American games in 1979.
- Nancy was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
Points of Interest
- In 1997, Lieberman was a 39-year old rookie for Phoenix Mercury in the first season of the WNBA.
- The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association annually present the Nancy Lieberman Award to the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. Past winners of the award, which was first given in 2000, include Sabrina Ionescu, Sue Bird, and Diana Taurasi.
- At 50 years of age, Lieberman became the oldest player to appear in the WNBA. She played one game for the Detroit Shock in 2008, scoring 0 points but dishing out two nice assists in nine minutes of playing time.
- On March 21, 2018, Nancy was invited by Ice Cube to became the first female coach on a men’s professional team in sports history. Replacing Clyde Drexler, who had moved into the Big3 league commissioner role, Lieberman’s Power team included former NBA players Corey Maggette, Quentin Richardson, Chris Andersen (aka Birdman), and Glen “Big Baby Davis.
- Nancy also coached the Detroit Shock in the WNBA, was the head coach of the Texas Legends (a D-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks), and an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA.
Statistics
Nancy Lieberman Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com
Personal Autograph Interactions
Joshua and I met Nancy Lieberman on two occasions at the 2023 Hall of Fame Induction weekend. First, we met her in the lobby of the Mohegan Sun. There she graciously signed my 2009-10 Panini Hall of Fame card and my 1997 WNBA Pinnacle rookie card, commenting as she signed that in one she was young while in the other she was older.
Nancy also signed for us at the official Panini Hall of Fame signing since she was being inducted into the Hall of Fame for a second time as a member of the 1976 Olympic team. At the signing she signed a custom card of the 1976 Team USA. All her signatures included her trademark smiley face below the autograph. Lieberman was so pleasant and seemed at ease signing and talking with her basketball fans.
At the 2024 Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend, Nancy signed two cards for me after the Awards Gala. I told her that I think she is a great ambassador of the game of basketball and she was appreciative of the complement. Lieberman seems to always be kind to fans and seems to welcome interactions with them whether she is signing autographs or just talking about this great game.
Thank you, Nancy!
In-Person Autograph Photos
In 2023, Nancy signed the 2009-10 Hall of Fame card and the 1997 Pinnacle rookie card.
Also in 2023, Nancy signed one of my custom 1976 Team USA cards as she entered the Hall of Fame for a second time as a member of that historic women’s Olympic team. Above she is pictured at the Panini Hall of Fame Autograph signing.
At the 2024 Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend, Nancy signed two more cards for me. The first is the 2009-10 Panini Playoff National Treasures Legend card. The second is the 1997 Pinnacle Inside WNBA Executive Collection card.