Basketball trailblazer Lusia Harris dies at 66

Author: AFP/APP

Los Angeles: Lusia Harris, the only woman drafted into the National Basketball Association, died on Tuesday in her home state of Mississippi at age 66, her family announced.

No details were provided about the cause of death.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news that our angel, matriarch, sister, mother, grandmother, Olympic medalist, The Queen of Basketball, Lusia Harris has passed away unexpectedly today in Mississippi,” Harris’ family said in a statement.

“The recent months brought Ms. Harris great joy, including the news of the upcoming wedding of her youngest son and the outpouring of recognition received by a recent documentary that brought worldwide attention to her story.”

Harris is known best for scoring the first points in an Olympic women’s basketball tournament in 1976 Montreal Games. She was also drafted by the New Orleans Jazz in 1977, making her the first and only female to be chosen in the NBA entry draft.

Share
Leave a Comment

Recent Posts

  • Editorial

Wheat Woes

Months after a witty, holier-than-thou, jack-of-all-trades caretaker government retreated from the executive, repeated horrors from…

5 hours ago
  • Editorial

Modi’s Tricks

For all those hoping to see matured Pak-India relations enter a new chapter of normalisation,…

5 hours ago
  • Cartoons

TODAY’S CARTOON

5 hours ago
  • Op-Ed

Exceptionally Incendiary Rhetoric

Narendra Modi is seeking the premiership of the country for the record third time. The…

5 hours ago
  • Op-Ed

Fading folio, rising screens – II

The ASER 2023 report findings further indicate that the highest level of learning for Urdu…

5 hours ago
  • Op-Ed

Populists and Polarized Democracies – II

Another major theme of the populists' strategy is to deliberately invoke hate and social schism…

5 hours ago