Lusia Mae Harris (February 10, 1955 – January 18, 2022) was a pioneering American basketball player, often hailed as one of the greatest female centers in the sport’s history.
Early Life and Education
Born in Minter City, Mississippi, Harris was the tenth of eleven children in her family. She attended Amanda Elzy High School near Greenwood, Mississippi, where she excelled in basketball under coach Conway Stewart. After high school, she enrolled at Delta State University, playing under coach Margaret Wade.
Collegiate Career
At Delta State, Harris led her team to three consecutive Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national championships from 1975 to 1977. She was a three-time AIAW Tournament Most Valuable Player and a three-time Kodak All-American. In her senior year, she averaged 31 points and 15 rebounds per game, including a high of 58 points against Tennessee Tech.
International Achievements
Harris represented the United States at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada—the first women’s basketball tournament in Olympic history. She scored the first-ever points in women’s Olympic basketball and helped the U.S. team secure a silver medal.
NBA Draft and Professional Career
In 1977, Harris made history by becoming the first and only woman officially drafted by an NBA team when the New Orleans Jazz selected her in the seventh round. However, she did not pursue a career in the NBA. She later played professionally for the Houston Angels in the Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL) during the 1979–1980 season.
Legacy and Honors
Harris’s contributions to basketball have been widely recognized. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, becoming the first Black woman to receive this honor. Additionally, she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Lusia Harris passed away on January 18, 2022, in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, at the age of 66. Her legacy continues to inspire and pave the way for future generations of female athletes.
