Nancy Lieberman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nancy Lieberman

Lieberman in 2018
Personal information
Born	(1958-07-01) July 1, 1958 (age 67) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
High school	Far Rockaway (New York City, New York)
Listed height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight	175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
College	Old Dominion (1976–1980)
NBA Draft	1997 / Round: 2 (Elite) / Pick: 15th overall
Selected by the Phoenix Mercury
Pro career	1980–1987, 1997, 2008
Coaching career	1998–2000, 2009–2011, 2015–present
Career history
As player:
1980–1981, 1984	Dallas Diamonds
1986	Springfield Fame
1987	Long Island Knights
1997	Phoenix Mercury
2008	Detroit Shock
As coach:
1998–2000	Detroit Shock
2009–2011	Texas Legends
2015–2018	Sacramento Kings (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player: WABA champion (1984) WABA Most Valuable Player (1984) WBL Rookie of the Year (1981) 3x Kodak All-American (1978–1980) 2× Honda Sports Award for basketball (1979, 1980) Honda-Broderick Cup for all sports (1979) 2x Wade Trophy (1979, 1980)
Medals Women's Basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Silver 1976 Montreal Team competition World Championship Gold 1979 Seoul National team Pan American Games Gold 1975 Mexico Team competition Silver 1979 Puerto Rico Team competition Jones Cup Gold 1979 Taipei Team competition

Nancy Ilizabeth Lieberman (born July 1, 1958) is a famous American basketball player and coach. People often call her "Lady Magic" because of her amazing skills. She played and coached in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Today, she works as a broadcaster for the Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA). She also coaches Power, a team in the BIG3 league, which she led to a championship in 2018. Many consider Nancy Lieberman one of the best women's basketball players ever.

She has been honored in many sports halls of fame. These include the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Family

Nancy Lieberman was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents were Jerome and Renee Lieberman. She grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens. Her family is Jewish. She once described herself as "just a poor, skinny, redheaded Jewish girl from Queens." Her grandparents survived the the Holocaust, a terrible time in history.

After her parents separated, her mother raised Nancy and her older brother, Clifford. Nancy loved many sports when she was young. She played baseball, softball, and football with boys. Eventually, she chose basketball as her main sport. She mostly played basketball with boys on pickup teams. She didn't join a girls' team until she was in high school.

Nancy's mother, Renee, wasn't always happy about her daughter's love for basketball. One time, Nancy was practicing dribbling inside because it was cold. Her mother asked her to stop because of the noise. When Nancy didn't stop, her mother popped the basketball with a screwdriver. Nancy found another ball and kept going. Her mother popped that one too. This happened five times! Nancy then decided it was better to play outside.

Playing Basketball

High School Success

While at Far Rockaway High School in Queens, Nancy became one of the best young women's basketball players. In 1975, when she was still a teenager, she joined the USA National Team. This team played in the World Championships and Pan American Games. Her team won a gold medal at the Pan American Games.

During the school year, she played for her high school team. In the summer, she played with an Amateur Athletic Union team called the New York Chuckles in Harlem. Nancy looked up to Knick player Walt Frazier. She wore jersey number 10 because of him.

College Achievements

Nancy went to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, from 1976 to 1980. There, she played on the women's basketball team. During her time at Old Dominion, her team won two AIAW National Championships in a row (1979, 1980). They also won one WNIT (Women's National Invitation Tournament) Championship in 1978.

Nancy was the first player to win the Wade Trophy twice. This award goes to the best college women's basketball player. She also won the Broderick Award as the top women's player in America. She earned three All-America awards from Kodak. In 1980, she received the Young American Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

She earned the nickname "Lady Magic." This was a nod to Earvin "Magic" Johnson, a famous NBA player. Nancy set a school record for career assists (961) that still stands. She led her team in assists every year she played. She scored 2,430 points and grabbed 1,167 rebounds in her college career. This means she averaged 18.1 points per game. She also had a "triple-double" (40 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists) in one game. Nancy stole the ball 562 times and made 961 assists in college. These are believed to be modern records.

Nancy graduated from Old Dominion University in 1980. She was inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

Professional Career Highlights

In 1980, the Dallas Diamonds picked Nancy first in the Women's Pro Basketball League (WBL) draft. She helped Dallas reach the 1981 WBL finals. She was named "rookie of the year," averaging 26.3 points per game.

In 1984, she played for the Dallas Diamonds again in the Women's American Basketball Association (WABA). She averaged 27 points per game and was named the league's Most Valuable Player. She helped Dallas win the 1984 WABA championship.

In 1986, Nancy joined the Springfield Fame of the men's professional United States Basketball League (USBL). She was the first woman to play in a men's professional basketball league. She later played for the Long Island Knights. She also toured with the Washington Generals, who played against the Harlem Globetrotters.

Nancy was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996. She also joined the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

In 1997, the first year of the WNBA, Nancy played for the Phoenix Mercury. At 39 years old, she was the oldest player in the WNBA. On July 24, 2008, at 50 years old, Nancy signed a short contract with the Detroit Shock. This made her the oldest player in WNBA history again. She played nine minutes in one game, recording two assists. This was her final WNBA game.

Playing for Team USA

At just 17, Nancy was chosen for the USA Basketball team. She played in the 1975 USA Women's Pan American Team in Mexico City. Her team won the gold medal.

Nancy continued with the USA team to the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. This was the first time women's basketball was an Olympic sport. Shortly after turning 18, Nancy became the youngest basketball player to win an Olympic medal. The United States team won the silver medal.

She also played for the US team at the 1979 William Jones Cup in Taipei, where they won the gold medal. In 1979, she played at the Pan American games in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her team won the silver medal.

In 1980, Nancy was chosen for the Olympic team again. However, she decided not to play to support U.S. President Jimmy Carter's boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Coaching Career

WNBA Coaching

In 1998, Nancy Lieberman became the general manager and head coach of the Detroit Shock. She coached for three seasons. In their first season (1998), she led the team to a winning record. After coaching, she worked as a basketball analyst for ESPN.

NBA G League Coaching

In November 2009, Nancy became the coach of the Texas Legends in the NBA Development League (now NBA G League). This made her the first woman to coach a professional men's basketball team. She later moved to a front office role with the Legends. Then, she became an analyst for the Oklahoma City Thunder studio show, Thunder Live.

NBA Assistant Coach

In July 2015, the Sacramento Kings hired her as an assistant coach. This made her the second female assistant coach in NBA history. She left the Kings in 2017. After that, she worked as a broadcaster for the New Orleans Pelicans.

BIG3 Coaching

On March 21, 2018, Nancy Lieberman was hired as the head coach of Power in the BIG3 league. In her first season, she led her team to win the 2018 Championship. This made her the first female coach in the BIG3 to win a championship.

Career Statistics

College Statistics

WNBA Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

Awards and Honors

• 1979 - Won the Honda Sports Award for basketball.
• 1979 - Won the Honda-Broderick Cup for all sports.
• 1980 - Won the Honda Sports Award for basketball again.
• 1999 - Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
• 2000 - The Nancy Lieberman Award was created in her honor.
• 2022 - A statue of her was revealed at Old Dominion University. It is the first statue of a former ODU athlete at the university.

Personal Life

Nancy Lieberman lived with tennis star Martina Navratilova for several years starting in 1981. Nancy also helped train Martina, which helped Martina become the number one tennis player again in 1982.

In 1988, Nancy married Tim Cline, who was a teammate with the Generals. They divorced on March 15, 2001.

T. J. Cline, Nancy's son.

Their son, T. J. Cline, played college basketball for the Richmond Spiders. In November 2017, he signed to play for an Israeli team called Hapoel Holon.

Nancy was raised Jewish. Later in life, she became a Christian. However, she has said, "I am 100% Jewish." She visited Israel with her mother in 2011. She said it helped her feel more connected to her Jewish culture and community.

In 2008, Nancy was part of the first group inducted into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame. This hall honors athletes, coaches, and leaders from Southeastern Virginia.

See also

In Spanish: Nancy Lieberman para niños

• List of female NBA coaches
• Nancy Lieberman Award
• List of select Jewish basketball players
• WBCBL Professional Basketball Trailblazer Award