Nancy Lieberman is known as one of the most prominent figures in American women’s basketball. She became the youngest basketball player in Olympic history to win a silver medal and was also the first woman to play in a men’s professional league. For her numerous records and talent, she earned the nickname “Lady Magic,” a nod to basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson. After finishing her playing career, Lieberman became a successful coach. Learn more at newyorka.
Early Life and Basketball
Nancy Lieberman was born on July 1, 1958, in New York City. Her parents, Jerome and Renee Lieberman, were of Jewish descent. Her paternal grandparents were killed in the Holocaust, while her maternal grandparents survived concentration camps. They had camp numbers tattooed on their wrists.
The Lieberman family first lived in Brooklyn and later moved to Queens. Nancy had an older brother, Clifford. When her parents divorced, the children stayed with their mother.
Nancy was athletic and active from a young age. She played baseball, softball, and football with boys, but basketball became her favorite. The game captivated her. Interestingly, she played mostly on boys’ teams and only joined a girls’ team in high school.
Her mother did not support her daughter’s interest in sports. Lieberman recalled that one cold day, she started practicing her dribbling skills indoors. Her mother asked her to stop, and when Nancy didn’t listen, she punctured the ball with a screwdriver. This happened five times until Nancy finally went outside to practice.
However, Lieberman’s talent was noticed at Far Rockaway High School in Queens. She first played for the school team and then joined the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in Harlem. In 1975, she was invited to join the USA National Team. She then participated in her first Pan American Games, where the team won gold.
Collegiate Career
In 1976, the talented athlete was recruited by Old Dominion University in Norfolk. Nancy studied there until 1980, simultaneously playing for the women’s basketball team. During this period, the team won two AIAW national championships and one WNIT championship.
Lieberman won the prestigious Wade Trophy twice. This national award recognizes the player of the year in women’s college basketball. She also:
- won the Broderick Award as the top female basketball player in the US,
- was a three-time consecutive Kodak All-America award winner,
- received the Young American Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 1980.
Nancy set a school record for assists and scored 2,430 points and 1,167 rebounds during her college career. It was during this time that she began to be called “Lady Magic”.
In May 1980, the basketball player earned a degree in interdisciplinary studies. Five years later, she was inducted into the university’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Nancy Lieberman’s Professional Basketball Career
After graduation, Nancy Lieberman had no doubts about her future path. A professional basketball career awaited her, as she was selected with the first overall pick in the Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL) draft by the Dallas Diamonds immediately after graduating. With her, the team reached the league finals, and Lieberman was named Rookie of the Year.
In 1981, the athlete joined the Los Angeles Lakers Summer Pro League team, and three years later, she returned to the Dallas Diamonds. This time, she signed a three-year, $250,000 contract to play in the Women’s American Basketball Association (WABA). The team won the WABA championship that same year, but the league folded shortly after.
Lieberman’s next contract, in 1986, was with the Springfield Fame of the men’s professional United States Basketball League (USBL). She was the first woman to play in the league. After that, Nancy played for other teams in the league. During this period, she met basketball player Tim Kline, who became her husband.
In 1996, the athlete was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and three years later, into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Subsequently, Nancy Lieberman was also inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the St. Louis Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
At 39 years old, the basketball player was the oldest player in the league, playing for the Phoenix Mercury. Shortly after, she decided to end her professional playing career and transition to coaching.
Coaching Achievements
In 1998, Nancy Lieberman became the general manager and head coach of the Detroit Shock in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She coached them for three seasons and led them to victory in the very first one. After leaving in 2000, Lieberman became a women’s basketball analyst.
In the fall of 2009, she was invited to coach the Texas Legends in the NBA Development League. She accepted and became the first female head coach of a professional men’s basketball team. Later, Lieberman headed the team’s game preparation department.
In the summer of 2015, she became an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings, becoming the second woman in NBA history to hold this position. After stepping down in 2017 due to her mother’s illness, Lieberman became the head coach of the team “Power” in the BIG3 league the following year. That same year, the team won the championship under her leadership.
National Team Achievements
Nancy Lieberman’s achievements in basketball at the national level are also noteworthy. After her first games with the U.S. Women’s Pan American team in 1975, she continued to play with them. Then, during the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, the first-ever women’s Olympic basketball competition was held. Lieberman participated and became the youngest basketball player in Olympic history to win a medal.
In 1979, the talented athlete was selected for the team that would represent the USA at the William Jones Cup in Taipei. The team won all six games. That same year, Nancy participated in the Pan American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as part of the national team. They won most of their games, but after a final loss to Cuba, the team settled for silver.
In 1980, Nancy Lieberman was again selected for the Olympic team, set to compete in Moscow. The athlete joined the boycott of the Olympics initiated by US President Jimmy Carter. After this, she did not make the final national team roster, either that time or in subsequent years. However, her contribution remained undeniable.
Nancy Lieberman Today
In 2025, Nancy Lieberman celebrated her 67th birthday. She remains active and athletic, maintains a social media presence, and promotes the sport of basketball. At the age of 50, she even returned to the franchise she had coached a decade earlier. Lieberman signed a seven-day contract with the eventual WNBA champions, the Detroit Shock, breaking her own previous record to become the oldest player in league history, though she did not stay with the team through the finals.
As for her personal life, the famous basketball player has never disclosed many details. It is known that she was married. Additionally, it has been reported that Lieberman dated tennis player Martina Navratilova. Navratilova revealed their relationship, which began in 1981 and lasted for several years, when she publicly came out.