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Lusia Harris, the only woman chosen in an NBA Draft, dies

Lusia Harris passed away this Tuesday, January 19, 2022 at the age of 66. This woman was one of the pioneers of women’s basketball worldwide and the only one who came very close to debuting in the NBA in the seventies. A native of Minter City, a small town on the Mississippi River, Harris won three college state championships and became the first female basketball player to score a basket at the Olympics in 1976.

A year later, in 1977, she was selected in the NBA Draft by the New Orleans Jazz, although she did not train with the team because at that time she was pregnant with her first child. To this day, she remains the only woman officially selected in an American league draft

Harris was throughout his pioneering career. First, she put Delta State on the map by leading as the only black player in the university’s three consecutive national titles between 1975 and 1977. In 115 college games, Harris averaged 25.9 points and 14.5 rebounds. per match. His scoring and rebounding records are still valid at Delta State, a reference university in the Cleveland area.

In 2021, shortly before his death, Harris recorded his legacy in a beautiful and acclaimed short documentary entitled The Queen of Bastkeball.



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