Lady Magic To An Aussie Gem: The Stars Who Helped Pave The Way For The Wnba’s Current Success

The WNBA playoffs statesman this weekend. It’s nan latest successful a drawstring of glitzy moments for nan league, which precocious has seen nan emergence of Indiana’s Caitlin Clark and her rivalry with Chicago’s Angel Reese, on pinch skyrocketing gross and nan news of expansion into caller markets. But arsenic a agleam early unfolds, we wanted to dive into nan past to retrieve 7 hoopers who helped make this each possible.

Nancy Lieberman

If you study only 1 point astir Nancy Lieberman, fto it beryllium this: her nickname connected nan tribunal was “Lady Magic.” A sublime constituent guard, her passing was connected par pinch nan likes of nan five-time champion Los Angeles Lakers level general. A personnel of nan Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Lieberman remains a steward of nan game today. But while she was only capable to play successful nan WNBA for a full of 26 games – 25 during nan league’s inaugural play successful 1997 and 1 singular tilt astatine 49 years aged successful 2008 – she remains 1 of nan sport’s astir important names. During her career, she moreover played successful nan USBL (a apical men’s league). Since then, she’s coached some successful nan W and nan NBA. Today, she’s a broadcaster for nan OKC Thunder. See more.

Cheryl Miller

It’s not each time that a hallway of famer weeps connected a podcast talking astir his sister. But not each hallway of famer has a related for illustration Cheryl Miller. Growing up pinch Cheryl taught her brother, Reggie, really to beryllium competitory and triumph (albeit seldom connected nan family hoop increasing up). Today, Cheryl remains astir apt nan champion women’s hoops subordinate of each time. Sadly, though, her profession ended without her playing successful nan WNBA – nan convention conscionable wasn’t astir during her prime. But that didn’t extremity her from coaching nan Phoenix Mercury successful nan W and earning a 70-52 record. Phoenix moreover made it to nan WNBA finals successful 1998. But arsenic a player? Cheryl is simply a hallway of famer, for illustration her brother, and scored an unthinkable 105 points successful a azygous precocious schoolhouse game. See more.

Sheryl Swoopes

A hallway of famer and erstwhile three-time MVP successful nan WNBA, Swoopes was besides a two-time scoring champ and three-time protect subordinate of nan year. Oh and she won a whopping 4 titles successful nan W. That’s a stunning legacy. But since she retired from nan game, Swoopes has mostly been retired of nan nationalist eye. (Today, her boy Jordan Jackson is simply a pro hooper pinch nan Maine Celtics.) Swoopes, who was nan first signee nan WNBA ever had, besides boasted her ain groundbreaking signature Nike sneaker successful nan early 2000s, nan Air Swoopes. See more.

Lauren Jackson

The Seattle Storm are 1 of nan astir valuable franchises successful nan WNBA, valued astatine astir $150m. The squad is known for players for illustration Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd. But location is different cardinal fig successful nan franchise’s history: nan sweet-shooting Lauren Jackson. The Australian frontcourt subordinate is simply a hallway of famer, a three-time MVP and two-time WNBA champ, among galore different accolades. Where would nan Storm beryllium without their first awesome star? Jackson, who was nan apical prime successful nan league’s 2001 draft, played a twelve years successful nan W and helped to put Seattle connected nan hoops map. See more.

Lusia Harris

A halfway from Delta State University, wherever she was nan only Black subordinate connected nan roster, Harris was drafted by nan New Orleans Jazz successful nan seventh information pinch nan 137th prime successful nan 1977 NBA draught (she later revealed she declined to be training campy arsenic she was pregnant). She remains nan only female ever to beryllium drafted by an NBA squad (Denise Long was taken years earlier successful 1969 by nan San Francisco Warriors, but nan NBA later voided that pick). Harris, who played successful 1 of nan first-ever women’s hoops games astatine Madison Square Garden, scoring 47 points arsenic a elder successful 1976-77, is besides nan first Black female ever inducted into nan Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. And while she ne'er played successful nan NBA aliases WNBA, she did suit up for 1 play pinch nan Houston Angels of nan Women’s Professional Basketball League successful 1979-80. See more.

Ann Meyers

Ann Meyers boasts a batch of firsts. The first female to motion a four-year assemblage diversion scholarship, She was besides nan first female to motion a statement pinch nan NBA, doing truthful successful 1979 pinch nan Indiana Pacers for $50,000. She participated successful tryouts for nan squad but did not make nan last roster. One of nan first women inducted into nan Basketball Hall of Fame, Meyers was besides a personnel of nan Houston Angels, drafted to nan WBL successful 1978 pinch nan apical pick. Eight years later, she joined LA Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale and nan 2 became nan first joined mates to beryllium hallway of famers successful their chosen sports. As a player, though, Meyers was unmatched. Today, her No 15 jersey hangs from nan UCLA rafters, 1 of nan first 4 numbers ever to beryllium retired by nan school, on pinch Denise Curry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton. See more.

Lynette Woodard

While Lynette Woodard did play 2 seasons successful nan W, they came toward nan very extremity of her profession erstwhile she was successful her precocious 30s. Prior to that, she was a standout astatine nan University of Kansas. Later, she was nan first female personnel of nan Harlem Globetrotters, making her besides nan first female to play for a men’s pro team. During her assemblage years, though, Kansas was not portion of nan NCAA, alternatively nan schoolhouse was portion of nan AIAW, aliases nan Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. So, erstwhile group talk astir Clark being nan all-time NCAA scorer for men’s aliases women’s basketball, nan news often neglects to mention Woodard’s contributions. Clark scored 3,951 points but Woodard is 2nd successful women’s hoops history pinch 3,649. See more.