 Harris as a senior at Delta State | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | February 10, 1955 Minter City, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | January 18, 2022 (aged 66) Mound Bayou, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Amanda Elzy (near Greenwood, Mississippi) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Delta State (1973–1977) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1977: 7th round, 137th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the New Orleans Jazz | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1979–1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Center | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1980 | Houston Angels | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Women's Basketball Hall of Fame | |||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Lusia Mae Harris (February 10, 1955 – January 18, 2022) was an American professional 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. On the international level, she represented the United States' national team. She was on the team which won the gold medal in the 1975 Pan American Games. In addition, she was a member of the team which won the silver medal in the 1976 Olympic Games, the first 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 to be officially drafted by the National Basketball Association (NBA). For her achievements, Harris was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.[1]
- ^ Crowther, Linnea (January 19, 2022). "Lusia Harris obituary: basketball pioneer dies at 66 – Legacy.com". legacy.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2024.