Lusia Harris, only woman officially selected in NBA Draft, dies at 66

Lusia Harris died at the age of 66 on Tuesday, the basketball legend’s family announced.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news that our angel, matriarch, sister, mother, grandmother, Olympic medalist, The Queen of Basketball, Lusia Harris has passed away unexpectedly today in Mississippi,” the family said in a statement.

“The recent months brought Ms. Harris great joy, including the news of the upcoming wedding of her youngest son and the outpouring of recognition received by a recent documentary that brought worldwide attention to her story.”

In college, Harris led Delta State to three consecutive AIAW championships. She made history in 1977 when the New Orleans Jazz selected her in the NBA Draft, making her the only woman to be officially drafted by an NBA team.

Harris reportedly didn’t try out for the team because she was pregnant at the time.

Harris made more history in 1976, scoring the first points in the first game of the inaugural women’s basketball tournament in the Olympics Games. The United States national team went on to win a silver medal with Harris leading the way in scoring and rebounding.

Harris played professionally for the Houston Angels of the Women’s Professional Basketball League in 1979-80.

In 1992, Harris was inducted into The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In the process, she became the first Black woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame less than a decade later.

“One of the greatest centers ever to play women’s basketball, Lusia Harris-Stewart was big, relentless, and dominated the painted area like no woman before her,” her Hall of Fame bio reads.

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