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Nancy Lieberman on what it means to be a basketball trailblazer

(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

For basketball legend Nancy Lieberman, the future of women’s sports will always be tied to the past.

While the 63-year-old trailblazer is in no way preoccupied with what once was, she appreciates the value of history and giving those who came before their due.

“Legends of the game, players who played the game, they don’t want anything, they just want a little shine, they want a little love, they want a little respect,” Lieberman tells Just Women’s Sports.

If anyone deserves “a little shine,” it’s Lieberman, who led Old Dominion to two consecutive AIAW National Championships in 1979 and 1980, was the first draft pick of the Women’s Pro Basketball League and joined the WNBA for its inaugural 1997 season at 39 years old.

As a coach, Lieberman led the WNBA’s Detroit Shock for three seasons starting in 1998 and became the second female assistant coach in NBA history when she joined the Sacramento Kings’ staff in 2015. She now coaches in the BIG3, a three-on-three basketball league founded by actor and musician Ice Cube.

Lieberman’s message for current athletes is that one day they, too, will be considered pioneers of the game. Before then, she says, they should champion women’s equality and progress and embrace their place in history.

“While you’re going up, just make sure you’re high-fiving, hugging, fist-bumping people that set the plate up for you because you’re going to be that person,” she says. “That’s why we fought for so long on the hill with Title IX, with gender equity. Everything that you see today, the fight has been real for this generation and beyond.”

The New York native wants basketball fans, in particular, to understand the history of the women’s game in order to fully appreciate where the league is today and where it’s headed.

“Do your research because you’re going to miss a lot of the greatness,” Lieberman says. “Women’s basketball did not start in 1997 with the WNBA; it did not start in 1982 with the NCAA. Women’s basketball had a healthy past.”

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Lieberman drives down the court against Queens College during an Old Dominion victory in 1979. (Bettman/Contributor/Getty Images)

Lieberman’s reverence for history and dedication to advancement is what makes her partnership with CollectibleXchange by Brandon Steiner so seamless. The online collectible marketplace, launched in August, connects sellers directly to consumers with a wide-ranging inventory of women’s sports memorabilia.

Lieberman sees the collaboration with longtime friend Steiner as an opportunity to highlight women’s sports. The collectibles, she says, reinforce the athletes’ value and help amplify women whose greatness has long been overlooked.

“A lot of people in the ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, were an afterthought,” Lieberman says.

As a decorated former athlete and a friend to many sports legends, Lieberman has quite the assortment of memorabilia herself. Her collection consists of an Olympic torch, her Olympic medals, Tiger Woods autographed golf balls, Diana Taurasi sneakers and Michael Jordan signed jerseys.

“I am still a fan no matter who people think I am throughout the course of my career,” Lieberman says. “I am a fan of greatness.”

No two people stand out more to Lieberman when it comes to greatness than tennis star Martina Navratilova and boxer Muhammad Ali. She calls both athletes her heroes for pushing sport and society forward, accomplishments she believes put them in a category of their own.

“To be a GOAT (greatest of all time), it’s not just statistical … to me, a GOAT is somebody who changed the game, not just played the game,” she says.

Lieberman says close friends Ali and Navratilova put their careers on the line at their peaks for a greater purpose, with Ali fighting for racial justice and Navratilova living her truth as a gay public figure. For those reasons, Lieberman’s collectibles from Ali and Navratilova carry special significance.

“I have Martina’s rackets, her wooden racket that she played early on,” Lieberman says. “I have the rackets that she played with at the US Open and Wimbledon when she won.”

The basketball icon gleefully recalls personally sliding leaded tape into her friends’ rackets to account for Navratilova’s strength. No item, however, holds more value to Lieberman than Ali’s boxing gloves, which she says she cherishes to this day.

In addition to their sentimental value, Lieberman believes that memorabilia can help attract new fans and bolster women’s athletes’ cultural capital across generations.

Lieberman says she already sees a shift happening, especially in women’s basketball.

“We hoped to have a WNBA. Today, kids who are 7, 8, 9 years old, they expect it,” she says. “Young girls expect to get a college scholarship, they expect to play on TV. They expect to then, if they’re good enough, go to the WNBA. I love that.”

Along with scholarships, select collegiate players can also expect to make money thanks to the NCAA’s reformed NIL policy. The deals and partnerships Lieberman has seen emerging in college sports are developments she says “would have been fun to have in our day.”

Lieberman equates Paige Bueckers’s historic contract with Gatorade to Michael Jordan’s advertising partnerships. The NIL deal, she says, could set the UConn star on a path toward generational wealth, something women’s athletes haven’t traditionally been able to rely on.

On the court, the former WNBA coach is equally impressed with the new crop of young talent.

With box scores always up on her phone, Lieberman is paying close attention to the college game, shouting out Maryland’s basketball team, Baylor’s Jordan Lewis, Bueckers and Arizona head coach Adia Barnes.

“I love watching these young people play,” she says, “because now they’re creating their own legacy, they’re putting their thumbprint on the history of the game.”

Professionally, Lieberman applauds the likes of Taurasi and Sue Bird. And while she is impressed with specific institutional changes made by the WNBA, she still sees room for improvements.

The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, reached in 2020, is a sign of promise for Lieberman. The former point guard credits the improvements in conditions and the increases in compensation and benefits. Still, Lieberman would like to see more players stay in the U.S. during the offseason and not feel forced to go overseas to complement their WNBA salaries. Many players, she points out, are going to Europe in the prime of their careers.

“If the WNBA had the wherewithal one day to expand and pay larger guaranteed salaries, some of these women wouldn’t have to go to Europe and they could be in the market,” Lieberman says. “They could be in their city, promoting their team and having a bigger, better, more powerful presence.”

Lieberman also weighed in on the expansion debate heating up in the WNBA, citing Oakland as a market ripe for a women’s team. Former WNBA star Alana Beard made headlines in October when it was announced she would lead the ownership group for an Oakland expansion team. Lieberman hopes the league takes a serious look at the city and Beard’s proposition.

“I think it would be amazing for that city,” she says. “They are incredible sports fans, they understand, they care.”

As the league continues to grow, Lieberman also sees an opportunity to get more women in ownership, management and coaching positions. The player-to-coach pipeline has been a hotly debated topic over the years, with many close to the WNBA advocating for more teams to consider former players for jobs. Lieberman’s career has served as a model in both the WNBA and the NBA, with seven women now serving on NBA coaching staffs and three former players serving as WNBA head coaches.

“If you only have one woman, it’s fantastic, but it’s also a tragedy and a failure,” she says. Coaches don’t get hired based on a resume alone, she says; instead, it all comes down to connections, meaning the next step “is to get more women on the front of the bench, building relationships.” For Lieberman, it’s as simple as general managers and decision-makers giving those in women’s sports a chance.

What’s next for the women’s game? Lieberman is unsure, and while she hopes it includes women’s teams boarding private jets like their male counterparts one day, she also knows that doesn’t come without greater investment and return.

Buy the jerseys of players like Bird, Taurasi and Brittney Griner while you can, she says, because one day they will join her on the Mount Rushmore of basketball, exalted as trailblazers of the game.

(Editor’s note: The Collective Marketplace on Athlete Direct is a sponsor of Just Women’s Sports)

Clare Brennan is an Associate Editor at Just Women’s Sports.

‘Sports Are Fun!’ Questions the Impact of NIL on College Basketball Rivalries

Cover image for Sports Are Fun! with Kelley O'Hara featuring NCAA college basketball transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley.
This week, the 'Sports Are Fun!' crew tackles the effect of NIL deals on NCAA basketball. (Just Women's Sports)

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun!

Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.

This week, the Sports Are Fun! crew makes some room on the couch for JWS's own social media guru, Gab Basinski. Together, the hosts then tackle a range of women's sports subjects, including how NIL deals and the NCAA transfer portal are reshaping the college basketball landscape.

"The NCAA transfer portal closed last Wednesday, which had over 1,500 players enter," opens O'Hara. "So many moves here, but just to highlight a few: Olivia Miles to TCU, Ta'Niya Latson to South Carolina, UCLA lost their entire freshman class, and Londynn Jones to USC, and finally, MiLaysia Fulwiley to LSU."

"Of all DI players, almost 30% of players were in the portal," says Basinski. "That's insane."

"I have so many questions and thoughts," O'Hara says.

In addition to all those NCAA basketball thoughts, Sports Are Fun! also dives into NWSL rivalries, the crew's growing beef with the KC Current, PWHL expansion, Caitlin Clark jersey sales, and so much more!

'Sports Are Fun!' asks if NIL is taking the fun out of NCAA basketball

Then, Sports Are Fun turned to coaching. The headline? Angel City bringing on new manager Alexander Straus from Germany's Bayern Munich.

"First of all, I think it's a cardinal sin — and that is pun intended — to transfer to a rival," O'Hara says. "Is that not a thing anymore? I could never, as a Stanford player, go to a UCLA or a USC. Absolutely not."

"When there's money involved, it's not it's not personal. It's business, baby," reasons Diaz. "We're seeing a Londynn Jones go from UCLA literally across the street to USC — that's insane to me. I feel like that's one of the craziest moves. So I guess it doesn't matter anymore?"

"To me, the thing that makes college sports so fun are the rivalries, your school pride," says O'Hara. "You are ride-or-die for your school, and it just doesn't seem like it exists anymore.

"I'd be ride or die for whatever school's paying me, to be honest," quips Basinski. "Get a bag. Because also, it's like, 'Oh they value me enough to pay this much for me to switch schools. So the school is kind of behind me, and if they're behind me this much, alright, I'll take your check and I'll go play.'"

Sports Are Fun! podcast graphic featuring Kelley O'Hara.
'Sports Are Fun!' places Kelley O'Hara at the intersection of women's sports and fun. (Just Women's Sports)

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.

Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

Players Criticize NWSL Officiating After Tense Portland-Louisville Draw

Portland's Jessie Fleming chases Louisville's Ary Borges during Sunday's NWSL game.
Portland's Jessie Fleming and Louisville's Ary Borges voiced frustration with officials after Sunday’s NWSL match. (Troy Wayrynen/Imagn Images)

Concerns over faulty NWSL officiating again took center stage this week, after Sunday's 3-3 draw between the Portland Thorns and Racing Louisville FC saw a league-record 41 fouls called — with only one card handed out in regulation.

In the chippy, physical showdown, Louisville took a 3-1 first-half lead only to see it shortened to 3-2 after referee Corbyn May awarded Portland a penalty kick just before halftime. Portland then drew level with another converted penalty, this one awarded late in second-half stoppage time.

Angered by May's controversial calls, Racing Louisville's Ary Borges garnered a post-match red card for dissent after confronting the officials on the field.

"I do think that match can't keep happening in this league. I think it's embarrassing — it alters the match, it alters the sport," said Portland's Jessie Fleming after the game, remarking on Louisville's aggressive play and the officials' lack of response.

"It's embarrassing for the league, and I think it's embarrassing for Louisville as a club, and very frustrating for us as players."

Following the match, Borges apologized for her outburst via social media, going on to note, "I'm not much of talking about referees because they are things that are beyond our control but what happened today in the match was a shame."

"For those who had two questionable penalties and spent the whole game throwing themselves in and around the penalty box, please take a moment to reflect and not talk about my team," she continued, accusing the Thorns of contributing to the issue by over-selling fouls.

PWHL Unveils Championship Rings for 2024 Walter Cup Winners Minnesota

A top and inside view of the Minnesota Frost's 2024 PWHL championship ring.
The Minnesota Frost won the first-ever Walter Cup in 2024. (PWHL)

With the puck dropping on the league's second postseason next week, the PWHL unveiled the Minnesota Frost's 2024 Walter Cup championship rings on Monday.

The reveal came as part of the league's multi-year partnership announcement with Paris Jewellers Canada, a family-owned jewelry brand that the PWHL has tapped to create its championship rings for years to come.

In order to personalize the championship jewelry, the design of the 2024 title-winning rings included input from inaugural victors Minnesota.

Fashioned from sterling silver, the rings feature an image of the Walter Cup. Surrounding the trophy are 74 diamonds, in honor of the goals scored by the team throughout their first season, as well as 18 purple amethyst stones representative of the squad's total 2023/24 wins.

The rings also bear inscriptions of the May 29th, 2024, championship game date and 3-0 winning score, the Frost's "Win One Game" motto, and each athlete's name and jersey number.

The champs received their rings in a private celebration on Sunday.

"This group will always carry the honor of being the first team in PWHL history to win the Walter Cup," said Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield.  "Now, we will forever have these special championship rings that encapsulate the journey to the top."

With the 2024/25 PWHL regular season closing on May 3rd, the Frost are locked in a battle with the Boston Fleet and Ottawa Charge for the two remaining playoff spots.

For a shot at defending their 2024 title, Minnesota must win their final two games by defeating both Ottawa and Boston this week.

US Tennis Stars Gauff, Keys Shine at 2025 Madrid Open Amid Blackouts

US star Coco Gauff returns the ball during her 2025 Madrid Open Round of 16 victory.
Major power outages impacted the 2025 Madrid Open this week. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Though rolling blackouts across the region suspended play at the 2025 Madrid Open on Monday, many top US talents are working their way through the clay court competition to great success.

World No. 4 Coco Gauff dispatched Switzerland's No. 42 Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-2 in Monday's Round of 16, exiting the court just before the arena lost power.

"I feel like, at this point, this is only a situation you can laugh at if I was on court," Gauff said after her post-match interview was cut short by a deadened mic. "Because it's probably not going to happen ever again, and we'll always remember the day the power went out at Madrid Open."

Gauff next faces No. 7 Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals, where a win could see her swap places with the now-ousted Jessica Pegula in the WTA rankings to reclaim No. 3 — and resume her title as the highest-ranked US player.

The rest of the Round of 16 resumed early Tuesday morning, with fellow US star and world No. 5 Madison Keys taking down Croatia's No. 21 Donna Vekić 6-2, 6-3 before No. 2 Iga Świątek eked out a win against No. 13 Diana Shnaider 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-4.

Keys and Świątek will now square off in the quarterfinals — their first meeting since Keys upset the Polish star in January's Australian Open semifinal.

How to watch the 2025 Madrid Open quarterfinals

The 2025 Madrid Open quarterfinals kick off at 4 AM ET on Wednesday. Coverage of the tournament will continue to air live on the Tennis Channel.

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