Lieberman, Nancy

Nancy is enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. As a 5'10" point guard, Lieberman redefined the women's game with her physical "schoolyard" style of play, refined on the playgrounds of Long Island and Harlem, where she was known on the streets as "Fire" for her fiery play and blazing red hair. She made history as the youngest player in history to win an Olympic medal for basketball, and the first woman to play in a men's league. The first woman inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Nancy starred in college at Old Dominion and helped pave the way for the future of women's basketball. In 1997, at the age of 39, she made a comeback to play in the WNBA, a league which would have allowed her to shine in her earlier career.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. July 1, 1958

Career Highlights:
In 1976, Nancy became the youngest player in Olympic history to medal as she helped the U.S. team capture the silver. Lieberman then moved on to Old Dominion University (she was the first woman to receive an athletic scholarship at ODU), where she became a three-time All-America, and led the Lady Monarchs to the National Championships in 1979 and 1980. In both years, Nancy was named Wade Trophy winner (symbolic of the women's National Player of the Year), and the Broderick Cup winner as the nation's top female athlete. In her two championship seasons, ODU had a record of 72-2! Lieberman finished her career at Old Dominion with 2,430 points, 1,167 rebounds, and a record 961 assists.

Following her college career, Nancy played in the Women's Basketball League and the Women's American Basketball Association. In 1986-87, she made history as the first woman to play in a men's professional league when she played for the Springfield Fame of the United States Basketball League. Nancy followed that achievement by playing for the Washington Generals on a world tour against the Harlem Globetrotters in 1987-88.

In 1996, Lieberman became the first woman ever inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1998, Lieberman returned to professional basketball to play with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury. She retired after the season to become the head coach and general manager of the WNBA's Detroit Shock, a position she held until August, 2000.

Origin:
Brooklyn, New York

Career Dates:
Lieberman played at Old Dominion University from 1976-1980.

Physical description:
5'10"

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