Remembering a Pioneer in Women’s Basketball

The WNBA has a rich history filled with iconic figures. Stars like Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, and Candice Parker often come to mind. I can recall watching some of them play during school trips—it was unforgettable.

But when I think about legends, one name really stands out: Cheryl Miller. She, being Reggie Miller’s sister, truly dominated the high school basketball scene. Her team finished with an incredible 132-4 record, and she set a staggering record of 105 points in a single game. If you do the math, that’s around 2.6 points per minute, and she didn’t even play the final two minutes! That’s remarkable, to say the least.

Sadly, Cheryl played a decade before the WNBA was established, wrapping up her college journey in 1986.

Today, though, we commemorate another significant figure in women’s basketball, someone whose contributions are often overlooked.

On this date, June 10th, 1977, Lusia Harris-Stewart was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz. Remarkably, she remains the only woman to have ever been officially drafted by an NBA team.

Hailing from a small Mississippi town as the tenth of eleven children in a family that farmed, Lusia didn’t have much, but basketball was always in the picture. The local kids frequented her house to play, and she watched legends like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell on TV, becoming enamored with the sport.

As she matured, so did her skills—Lusia eventually grew to 6’3″ and became the best player in her state, perhaps even in the country.

She received an offer to walk on to the boys’ team at Alcorn State, but then came an incredible opportunity: Delta State University decided to reinstate its women’s basketball team, giving her and other women a place to compete.

Her immense talent, combined with the vision of athletic director Marvin Henhill and coach Margaret Wade, revitalized women’s basketball at Delta State.

Lusia led the team to three consecutive national championships, finishing with a 109-6 record. Her play during tournaments drew national attention, and just a year later, Delta State played at Madison Square Garden during the women’s finals of March Madness.

On draft night in 1977, Lusia became the second woman ever drafted by the NBA, behind Dennis Long, who was picked by the San Francisco Warriors. However, the NBA didn’t actively support her, ensuring the draft pick didn’t lead anywhere for her.

Instead of joining the NBA, Lusia played in the Women’s Basketball League for two seasons before its demise.

A few years later, in 1992, she became the first Black woman inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. In 2003, she was invited to the WNBA All-Star Game, which returned to Mississippi, though she couldn’t attend for reasons unknown.

Lusia lived long enough to see a documentary about her life, supported by NBA stars Shaquille O’Neal and Steph Curry, titled “Basketball Queen.” Tragically, she passed away shortly after its release in 2022.

It’s kind of ironic that pioneers like her can be forgotten over time. History is often neglectful of its trailblazers—just look at figures like Charles “Tarzan” Cooper and Bob Douglas, who were significant yet overlooked.

If Lusia had played for the Jazz or made the Alcorn team, the landscape of women’s basketball could have shifted dramatically. But, by the time she completed college, her aspirations lay in starting a family rather than pursuing basketball as a career. At that point, the sport was somewhat of an afterthought.

Even though she stepped away from the game by just 25, she made a lasting impact as a groundbreaker in women’s basketball.

Ultimately, she set a significant precedent.

If the WNBA showcases the talent of players like Cheryl Miller, and if Miller’s abilities can be traced back to the foundations laid by Lusia Harris-Stewart, then we owe much of today’s women’s basketball greatness to her influence.

Nearly half a century ago, women’s basketball made significant strides at Madison Square Garden.

Lusia’s college journey occurred just months ahead of Title IX, which transformed women’s sports into an essential element of athletic programs. Today, the WNBA Finals garner impressive viewership, drawing in an average of 1.6 million viewers per game—all thanks to forgotten legends like her.

Let us remember Lusia Harris-Stewart today. Without her contributions, it’s possible that coverage of the WNBA and women’s sports as we know it may not even exist.