Nancy Lieberman makes history in coaching debut
Nancy Lieberman made history last night when she became the first woman to coach an NBA-affiliated team. In an NBA Development League game, Lieberman’s Texas Legends fell 123-115 to the
Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Thursday 18 November but the score was not the main story of the night.
In a game that changed dates so it could be nationally televised, Lieberman, a former ESPN analyst and coach of the WNBA’s Detroit Shock for three seasons, told reporters she approached
it like any other night. "It was another game. I've been through thousands of them."
The game became secondary last night as Lieberman wore a wireless mic with a cameraman following her every move. Becoming the first female coach in a male-dominated profession is a big
moment, and Dan Reed, president of the D-League, recognizes this. "It's an historic night. Nancy Lieberman is a Hall of Famer. She has an amazing amount of basketball experience.
She's definitely qualified to be a coach in our league. We are thrilled to be a part of making history with her coaching NBA-caliber players."
Lieberman has received her fair share of media attention in the run-up to her coaching debut last night. While she expects every game she coaches to receive more attention than she is
used to, she said in the end it’s all about winning. "Every game is going to be like this. Every game, there's going to be curiosity. Every game is going to be special and unique.
But our guys know it's not about me. It's about them."
Despite the loss, Lieberman seemed pleased with the players on her team. "Our guys are absolutely fantastic.
They are in the locker room right now, and they are not happy. That means it matters, and that means they care. They are not happy because they think they should have won. We're going to be all right."
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