Lusia Harris
Encyclopedia
Lusia "Lucy" Harris-Stewart (born Lusia Harris; February 10, 1955) is a former American
basketball
player. Harris is considered to be one of the pioneers of women's basketball
. She played for Delta State University
and won three consecutive Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
(AIAW) National Championships
, the predecessors to the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) championships, from 1975 to 1977. In international level, she represented the United States' national team
and won the silver medal
in the 1976 Olympic Games
, the first ever women's basketball tournament in the Olympic Games
. She played professional basketball with the Houston Angels
of the Women's Professional Basketball League
(WBL) and was the first and only woman ever officially drafted
by the National Basketball Association
(NBA), a men's professional basketball league. For her achievements, Harris has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
.
to Ethel and Willie Harris, a vegetable farmer. She is the tenth of eleven children and the fourth of five daughters. All of her brothers and one of her older sisters, Janie, also played basketball. Harris and her siblings attended Amanda Elzy High School in Greenwood, Mississippi
.
Harris played basketball under coach Conway Stewart in high school. She won the most valuable player
award three consecutive years, served as team captain and made the state All-Star team. She scored a school record 46 points in one game and led her school to the state tournament in Jackson, Mississippi
.
After her high school graduation, she planned to attend Alcorn State University
, which did not have a women's basketball team. However, she was asked by Melvin Hemphill, the recruiter for coach Margaret Wade
, who was restarting a collegiate women's team, if she would attend Delta State University
in Cleveland, Mississippi
. This was before Title IX
, so there were no sports scholarships for women. She attended school on a combination of academic scholarship
s and work study
funds.
. They went all the way to the final where they met the Mighty Macs of Immaculata University
who had won the last three consecutive AIAW championships. In the final, Harris scored 32 points and recorded 16 rebounds to led Delta State past Immaculata 90–81. The 1975 championship game was televised nationally (albeit delayed). This is the first year that women's basketball games were nationally televised by a major network. That season, Delta State went undefeated in with a 28–0 record, the only undefeated college season that year (men or women). Harris scored a total of 138 points and 63 rebounds in four games at the national tournament and was named as the tournament's most valuable player
.
In the 1975–76 season, Delta State and Immaculata met again in the national tournament final. Harris again led Delta State with 30 points and 18 rebounds in a 69–64 victory. That season, she led the nation in scoring with 1,060 points and a 31.2 points per game average, including a 58-point game against Tennessee Tech
. In her senior season, Delta State played a game in the Madison Square Garden
, in which Harris scored 47 points. This was one of the first women's basketball game ever played there. Delta State then went to the national tournament final for the third year in a row. In the final, Harris scored 23 points and recorded 16 rebounds as Delta State defeated Louisiana State University
68–55 for their third consecutive title.
Harris was named as the national tournament's most valuable player
and to the All-America
n first team during Delta State's three winning seasons. Her college career record was 109–6, and included victories over later NCAA Division I
powerhouses such as Immaculata University, University of Tennessee
, Baylor University
, University of Mississippi
, Louisiana State University and Louisiana Tech University
. Harris finished her college career with 2,981 points and 1,662 rebounds, averaging 25.9 points and 14.5 rebounds per game. She also graduated with fifteen of eighteen Delta State's team, single game, and career records. In 1977, she won the inaugural Honda Sports Award
for basketball, as well as the Broderick Cup
, an award for outstanding female athletes in college.
in the FIBA World Championship for Women
in Colombia
and the Pan American Games
in Mexico City
, Mexico
. She teamed up with high school star Nancy Lieberman
and fellow college stars Ann Meyers
and Pat Head
. In the FIBA World Championship, the United States compiled a 4–3 record and finished in eighth place. In the Pan American Games, the United States team went unbeaten in seven games to win the gold medal
, their first win since 1963
. They averaged 86.7 points per game with an average winning margin of 34.4.
The following year, Harris was selected to represent the United States in the 1976 Summer Olympics
in Montreal
, Canada
, the first ever women's basketball tournament in the Olympic Games
. She teamed up with most of her teammates in the 1975 Pan American Games, including Lieberman, Meyers and Head. In the opening game against Japan
, Harris scored the first ever points in women's Olympic basketball tournament. The United States team won three games and lost two games against Japan
and the Soviet Union
. The Soviet Union team went undefeated and won the gold medal, while the United States team won the silver medal
. Harris played in all five games, averaging 15.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
, the New Orleans Jazz
selected Harris with the 137th pick overall. She became the second woman ever drafted by an NBA team, after Denise Long, who was selected by the San Francisco Warriors
in the 1969 Draft
. However, the league voided the Warriors' selection, thus Harris became the first and only woman ever officially drafted. Harris did not express an interest to play in the NBA and declined to try out for the Jazz. It was later revealed that she was pregnant at the time, which made her unable to attend the Jazz's training camp. She was selected ahead of 33 other male players, including the Jazz's eighth round selection, Dave Speicher from the University of Toledo
.
Harris never played in the NBA or any other men's basketball league but played professional basketball briefly in the 1979–80 season with the Houston Angels
of the Women's Professional Basketball League
(WBL). She was initially picked as the number one free agent by the Angels in 1978, the league's inaugural season.
in Houston for two years. She then returned to her native Mississippi and became a high school teacher and coach. Harris married George E. Stewart on February 4, 1977. They have four children, two sons and a pair of twin daughters.
became the first two women ever inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. She also became the first African-American woman inductee. In 1998, Harris, along with her college coach, Margaret Wade
, and her teammates in the national team
, Nancy Lieberman
, Ann Meyers
and Pat Head
, were named among the 26 inaugural inductees to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
. She has also been named to the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. Harris is considered to be one of the pioneers of women's basketball
Women's basketball
Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast , in large part via women's colleges...
. She played for Delta State University
Delta State University
Delta State University, also known as DSU, is a regional public university located in Cleveland, Mississippi, United States, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta...
and won three consecutive Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships. It evolved out of the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women . The association was one of the biggest...
(AIAW) National Championships
AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament
-1973 tournament:The 1973 AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament was held on March 22–25, 1973. The host site was Queens College in Flushing, New York...
, the predecessors to the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) championships, from 1975 to 1977. In international level, she represented the United States' national team
United States women's national basketball team
The United States women's national basketball team are the defending Olympic champions in women's basketball. The team is composed of some of the top American players in the WNBA and the women's college game....
and won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the 1976 Olympic Games
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
, the first ever women's basketball tournament in the Olympic Games
Basketball at the Summer Olympics
Basketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
. She played professional basketball with the Houston Angels
Houston Angels
The Houston Angels was a team that played for two seasons in the Women's Professional Basketball League. The team won the league championship in the inaugural season defeating the Iowa Cornets three games to two in the best-of-five tournament...
of the Women's Professional Basketball League
Women's Professional Basketball League
The Women's Professional Basketball League was a professional women's basketball league in the United States. The league played three seasons from the fall of 1978 to the spring of 1981...
(WBL) and was the first and only woman ever officially drafted
Draft (sports)
A draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and the Philippines to allocate certain players to sports teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players...
by the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA), a men's professional basketball league. For her achievements, Harris has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors men and women who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA...
.
Early life
Harris was born in Minter City, MississippiMinter City, Mississippi
Minter City is an unincorporated community in northern Leflore County, Mississippi in the Mississippi Delta on the Leflore County/Tallahatchie County county line. Minter City is located on the Tallahatchie River approximately west of Philipp, south of Glendora and east of Ruleville...
to Ethel and Willie Harris, a vegetable farmer. She is the tenth of eleven children and the fourth of five daughters. All of her brothers and one of her older sisters, Janie, also played basketball. Harris and her siblings attended Amanda Elzy High School in Greenwood, Mississippi
Greenwood, Mississippi
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta approximately 96 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi, and 130 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The population was 15,205 at the 2010 census. It is the...
.
Harris played basketball under coach Conway Stewart in high school. She won the most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award three consecutive years, served as team captain and made the state All-Star team. She scored a school record 46 points in one game and led her school to the state tournament in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
.
After her high school graduation, she planned to attend Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University is an historically black university comprehensive land-grant institution in Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871-History:...
, which did not have a women's basketball team. However, she was asked by Melvin Hemphill, the recruiter for coach Margaret Wade
Margaret Wade (basketball coach)
Lily Margaret Wade was an American basketball player and coach. She played high school basketball for Cleveland High School and college basketball for Delta State University in 1930-1932. The women's basketball program was discontinued at that college after she graduated...
, who was restarting a collegiate women's team, if she would attend Delta State University
Delta State University
Delta State University, also known as DSU, is a regional public university located in Cleveland, Mississippi, United States, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta...
in Cleveland, Mississippi
Cleveland, Mississippi
Cleveland is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 12,334 as of the 2010 census.Cleveland has a fairly large commercial economy, with numerous restaurants, stores, and services along U.S. Highway 61...
. This was before Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
, so there were no sports scholarships for women. She attended school on a combination of academic scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s and work study
Cooperative education
Cooperative education is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for structured job experience...
funds.
College career
In her first year in Delta State, Harris helped the Lady Statesmen to a 16–2 record. However, they finished third in the regional tournament and failed to qualify to the national tournament. The following year, the Lady Statesmen qualified to the national tournament at Harrisonburg, VirginiaHarrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
. They went all the way to the final where they met the Mighty Macs of Immaculata University
Immaculata University
Immaculata University is a Catholic University on King Road in East Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.-History:Immaculata was founded as Villa Maria College, a women's college in 1920. It was the first Catholic college for women in the Philadelphia area...
who had won the last three consecutive AIAW championships. In the final, Harris scored 32 points and recorded 16 rebounds to led Delta State past Immaculata 90–81. The 1975 championship game was televised nationally (albeit delayed). This is the first year that women's basketball games were nationally televised by a major network. That season, Delta State went undefeated in with a 28–0 record, the only undefeated college season that year (men or women). Harris scored a total of 138 points and 63 rebounds in four games at the national tournament and was named as the tournament's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
In the 1975–76 season, Delta State and Immaculata met again in the national tournament final. Harris again led Delta State with 30 points and 18 rebounds in a 69–64 victory. That season, she led the nation in scoring with 1,060 points and a 31.2 points per game average, including a 58-point game against Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Technological University
Tennessee Technological University, popularly known as Tennessee Tech, is an accredited public university located in Cookeville, Tennessee, US, a city approximately seventy miles east of Nashville. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute , and before that as Dixie College, the...
. In her senior season, Delta State played a game in the Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, in which Harris scored 47 points. This was one of the first women's basketball game ever played there. Delta State then went to the national tournament final for the third year in a row. In the final, Harris scored 23 points and recorded 16 rebounds as Delta State defeated Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
68–55 for their third consecutive title.
Harris was named as the national tournament's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
and to the All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n first team during Delta State's three winning seasons. Her college career record was 109–6, and included victories over later NCAA Division I
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
powerhouses such as Immaculata University, University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
, University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, Louisiana State University and Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
. Harris finished her college career with 2,981 points and 1,662 rebounds, averaging 25.9 points and 14.5 rebounds per game. She also graduated with fifteen of eighteen Delta State's team, single game, and career records. In 1977, she won the inaugural Honda Sports Award
Honda Sports Award
The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States of America, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Award are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award, as...
for basketball, as well as the Broderick Cup
Honda-Broderick Cup
The Honda-Broderick Cup is a sports award for college-level female athletes. The awards are voted on by a national panel of more than 1000 collegiate athletic directors. It was first presented by the late Thomas Broderick, owner of a sports apparel company, in 1977, with the first award going to...
, an award for outstanding female athletes in college.
National team career
In 1975, Harris was selected to represent the United States' national teamUnited States women's national basketball team
The United States women's national basketball team are the defending Olympic champions in women's basketball. The team is composed of some of the top American players in the WNBA and the women's college game....
in the FIBA World Championship for Women
1975 FIBA World Championship for Women
The 1975 FIBA World Championship for Women was hosted by the Colombia from 1975. Soviet Union won the tournament, defeating Japan 106-75 in the final.- Venues :- Final standings :-References:*...
in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and the Pan American Games
1975 Pan American Games
The 7th Pan American Games were held in Mexico City, Mexico, from October 12 to October 26, 1975, exactly twenty years after the 2nd Pan American Games were held there...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. She teamed up with high school star Nancy Lieberman
Nancy Lieberman
Nancy Elizabeth Lieberman , nicknamed "Lady Magic", is a former professional basketball player who played and coached in the WNBA.Lieberman is regarded as one of the greatest figures in women's basketball....
and fellow college stars Ann Meyers
Ann Meyers
Ann Meyers Drysdale is a retired American basketball player and sportscaster. She was a standout player in high school, college, the Olympic Games, international tournaments, and the professional levels.Meyers was the first player to be part of the U.S. national team while still in high school...
and Pat Head
Pat Summitt
Patricia "Pat" Head Summitt is an American women's college basketball coach. She is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division...
. In the FIBA World Championship, the United States compiled a 4–3 record and finished in eighth place. In the Pan American Games, the United States team went unbeaten in seven games to win the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
, their first win since 1963
1963 Pan American Games
The 4th Pan American Games were held from April 20 to May 5, 1963 in São Paulo, Brazil.- Medal count :To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, click on the icon next to the column title.Note...
. They averaged 86.7 points per game with an average winning margin of 34.4.
The following year, Harris was selected to represent the United States in the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the first ever women's basketball tournament in the Olympic Games
Basketball at the Summer Olympics
Basketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
. She teamed up with most of her teammates in the 1975 Pan American Games, including Lieberman, Meyers and Head. In the opening game against Japan
Japan women's national basketball team
The Japan women's national basketball team is the women's basketball side that represents Japan in international competitions.- FIBA World Championship for Women record :*1964: 9th*1967: 5th*1971: 5th*1975: 2nd*1979: 6th*2010: 10th...
, Harris scored the first ever points in women's Olympic basketball tournament. The United States team won three games and lost two games against Japan
Japan women's national basketball team
The Japan women's national basketball team is the women's basketball side that represents Japan in international competitions.- FIBA World Championship for Women record :*1964: 9th*1967: 5th*1971: 5th*1975: 2nd*1979: 6th*2010: 10th...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union women's national basketball team
The Soviet Union women's national basketball team was the women's basketball side that represented the Soviet Union in international competitions...
. The Soviet Union team went undefeated and won the gold medal, while the United States team won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
. Harris played in all five games, averaging 15.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
Professional career
In the seventh round of the 1977 NBA Draft1977 NBA Draft
The 1977 NBA Draft was the 31st annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1977 before the 1977–78 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
, the New Orleans Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
selected Harris with the 137th pick overall. She became the second woman ever drafted by an NBA team, after Denise Long, who was selected by the San Francisco Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the 1969 Draft
1969 NBA Draft
The 1969 NBA Draft was the 23rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 7, 1969 and May 7, 1969 before the 1969–70 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year...
. However, the league voided the Warriors' selection, thus Harris became the first and only woman ever officially drafted. Harris did not express an interest to play in the NBA and declined to try out for the Jazz. It was later revealed that she was pregnant at the time, which made her unable to attend the Jazz's training camp. She was selected ahead of 33 other male players, including the Jazz's eighth round selection, Dave Speicher from the University of Toledo
University of Toledo
The University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
.
Harris never played in the NBA or any other men's basketball league but played professional basketball briefly in the 1979–80 season with the Houston Angels
Houston Angels
The Houston Angels was a team that played for two seasons in the Women's Professional Basketball League. The team won the league championship in the inaugural season defeating the Iowa Cornets three games to two in the best-of-five tournament...
of the Women's Professional Basketball League
Women's Professional Basketball League
The Women's Professional Basketball League was a professional women's basketball league in the United States. The league played three seasons from the fall of 1978 to the spring of 1981...
(WBL). She was initially picked as the number one free agent by the Angels in 1978, the league's inaugural season.
Personal life
Harris graduated from Delta State with a Bachelor's degree in health, physical education and recreation in 1977. After graduation, she worked for Delta State as an admissions counselor and assistant basketball coach. She earned a Master's degree in education from Delta State in 1984. After leaving the assistant coaching post in Delta State, she served as the head coach at Texas Southern UniversityTexas Southern University
Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....
in Houston for two years. She then returned to her native Mississippi and became a high school teacher and coach. Harris married George E. Stewart on February 4, 1977. They have four children, two sons and a pair of twin daughters.
Legacy
For her achievements and contributions to the Delta State University, Harris was inducted to the Delta State's Hall of Fame in 1983. In 1992, Harris and former player Nera WhiteNera White
Nera D. White is a retired American basketball player. She is considered one of the most outstanding female players in history.- Early life and education :...
became the first two women ever inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. She also became the first African-American woman inductee. In 1998, Harris, along with her college coach, Margaret Wade
Margaret Wade (basketball coach)
Lily Margaret Wade was an American basketball player and coach. She played high school basketball for Cleveland High School and college basketball for Delta State University in 1930-1932. The women's basketball program was discontinued at that college after she graduated...
, and her teammates in the national team
United States women's national basketball team
The United States women's national basketball team are the defending Olympic champions in women's basketball. The team is composed of some of the top American players in the WNBA and the women's college game....
, Nancy Lieberman
Nancy Lieberman
Nancy Elizabeth Lieberman , nicknamed "Lady Magic", is a former professional basketball player who played and coached in the WNBA.Lieberman is regarded as one of the greatest figures in women's basketball....
, Ann Meyers
Ann Meyers
Ann Meyers Drysdale is a retired American basketball player and sportscaster. She was a standout player in high school, college, the Olympic Games, international tournaments, and the professional levels.Meyers was the first player to be part of the U.S. national team while still in high school...
and Pat Head
Pat Summitt
Patricia "Pat" Head Summitt is an American women's college basketball coach. She is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division...
, were named among the 26 inaugural inductees to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors men and women who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA...
. She has also been named to the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.