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The Charlotte Hornets have been granted permission to interview Lindsey Harding, the coach of the G League’s Stockton Kings, for Charlotte’s head-coaching job, a league source confirmed Monday. ESPN first reported the news.
If Harding is hired, she would become the first woman to be named head coach of an NBA team.
Harding, 39, was the No. 1 pick by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2007 WNBA Draft. Last year, she became the only woman head coach in either the NBA or G League when she coached Sacramento’s G League team in their opener, a loss, against the Santa Cruz Warriors in November 2023.
Harding, a former Duke standout whose No. 10 jersey was retired by the program, was named the Naismith Player of the Year in 2007. She played nine seasons in the WNBA and, after her playing career, worked as a scout and player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers. She then spent four seasons as an assistant for the Sacramento Kings before being named the head coach of the Stockton Kings.
Last week, Harding became the first woman to be named the NBA G League Coach of the Year after leading the Stockton Kings to a 24-10 regular-season record.
Harding has also coached the Mexican women’s national team since 2022 and previously served in the same role for South Sudan’s women’s team.
While women coaching in the NBA is still rare, more women are working as player development coaches or as second or third assistants. Becky Hammon was a top assistant to San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for years. She became the first woman to be the head coach in an NBA game when Popovich was ejected against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 30, 2020. She also was a head coach for the Spurs during the NBA Summer League, a showcase for rookies and young players hoping to make a team in the fall.
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(Photo: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)
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