Lusia ‘Lucy’ Harris scripted history when she became the first and only Black woman to play in the NBA in 1977. Brought up in Mississippi, Lusia nurtured her love for basketball by staying up past her bedtime and watching the game on her TV. Lusia started her basketball career as the captain of her high school team, earning the most valuable player three times in a row.

At 6 feet 3 inches, in high school, Lusia was often “long and tall and that’s all” by her classmates. She went on to become a three-time national college champion and an Olympic silver medalist.

After her graduation, Lusia continued her career in sports by playing for the women’s basketball team for Delta State University. She won the national championship on Women’s basketball NCAA Division III.

But her major breakthrough came in 1977 when she was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz (now Utah Jazz) in the seventh round of the draft. 

She became the first-ever African American woman to be officially drafted by the NBA. While she was unable to try out for the team due to her pregnancy at the time, she did play for the Houston Angels of the Women’s Professional Basketball League.

She was initially picked as the top free agent by the Angels in 1978, in the league’s inaugural season.

The pick was considered unorthodox by many as there were others who played at very high levels in college before but never grabbed the NBA’s attention.

“…Drafted by a Men’s team?” was a quote from Luisa taken from a Mississippi-based newspaper.

However, according to media reports, she was not the first woman to be technically drafted by the NBA. In 1969, the Warriors drafted Denise Long, but this pick was voided by the NBA. With Luisa, the NBA did not discard the draft.

For Harris, being drafted by the New Orleans Jazz is just a footnote in her career. She left Delta State with 15 of 18 statistical records, three national titles, a gold medal at the pan-am games, a silver medal in the 1976 Olympic games.