It's already been a year of massive progress for women's basketball. Could Lindsey Harding author the next chapter of history?
Harding is set to interview for the Hornets' head coaching job, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, putting her in the running to become the first female head coach in NBA history. Charlotte launched a full-scale search after coach Steve Clifford announced he was stepping down after the season.
While Harding would be the first woman to land an NBA head coaching role if she earned the job, she won't be the first to interview for such a position. Becky Hammon and Dawn Staley interviewed for head coaching roles in 2021, though neither ended up being a team's top choice.
It's a matter of "when," not "if," a woman will make history by becoming the first female head coach in NBA history. Here's what you need to know about Harding, who could be the one to do it.
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Who is Lindsey Harding?
Harding is the head coach of the G League's Stockton Kings, an affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. She has also served as head coach of the Mexico women's national basketball team since 2022.
Harding has enjoyed a quick rise, as she's just 39 and only finished up a 10-year WNBA career in 2016. A point guard drafted first overall out of Duke in 2007, Harding split her 10 seasons with six different teams and was the runner-up for WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2007.
Harding averaged 9.8 points and 4.0 assists per game, starting 210 of her 270 WNBA games. She played in the 2011 WNBA Finals with the Atlanta Dream.
The Kings finished 24-10 in Harding's first season on the job, earning her G League Coach of the Year honors earlier in April. She became the first woman to win the award, putting her on NBA radars.
Harding isn't the only candidate in the mix for the Hornets, who are expected to cast a wide net in the first coaching search of Jeff Peterson's tenure as head of basketball operations. NBA assistants Jordi Fernandez, Charles Lee, Kevin Young, and David Adelman are all reportedly drawing interest from Charlotte.
Like Hammon and Staley in 2021, Harding's interview stands out for reasons that go beyond basketball. At just 39, her future in coaching appears to be bright even if she doesn't become the Hornets' head coach.
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Lindsey Harding coaching history
Harding's bench experience outside of the international game is limited, which may be an obstacle in her pursuit of the Hornets' head coaching job. Still, she jumped into coaching not long after her WNBA career ended.
Harding worked in player development and scouting for the 76ers in 2018-19 and later joined the Sacramento Kings as a player development coach. Her connection to Sacramento made her an obvious fit for the organization's G League affiliate.
In the meantime, Harding was hired as the first head coach of South Sudan's women's national team in 2021. She took on the same role with the Mexican women's national team in 2022.
The Stockton Kings announced Harding's hiring in June 2023, also naming Anjali Ranadive, daughter of Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, as their general manager.
The early results for Harding were strong, with the Stockton Kings posting the best record in the G League's Western Conference. That success has her poised to make another leap, with a history-making jump to NBA head coach at least a possibility at this stage.
