The Charlotte Hornets have been granted permission to interview Lindsey Harding, coach of the G League's Stockton Kings, for the head coaching job in Charlotte, league officials confirmed Monday. ESPN first reported the news.
If hired, Harding would be the first woman to be named head coach of an NBA team.
Harding, 39, was the first pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury. Last year, she coached Sacramento's G League team in its November 2023 season opener against the Santa Cruz Warriors, which they lost, making her the only female head coach in either the NBA or the G League.
Harding, a former Duke player whose number 10 was retired by the program, was named the Naismith Player of the Year in 2007. She played nine seasons in the WNBA and worked as a scout and player development coach after her playing career. For the Philadelphia 76ers. She then spent four seasons as an assistant with the Sacramento Kings until she was named head coach of the Stockton Kings.
Last week, Harding led the Stockton Kings to a 24-10 regular season record and became the first woman to be named NBA G League Coach of the Year.
Harding has also been the coach of the Mexican women's national team since 2022, and previously held the same role with the South Sudan women's team.
Although female coaches are still rare in the NBA, more and more women are working as player development coaches and second- and third-line assistants. Becky Hammon was a top assistant to San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for many years. When Popovich was ejected during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 30, 2020, she became the first woman to become a head coach in an NBA game. She also served as the Spurs' head coach during NBA Summer League, a showcase for rookie players. Young players who want to make a team in the fall.
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