Retro Mercury Profile: Nancy Lieberman

Nancy Lieberman was one of the original players for the Phoenix Mercury, and she went on to have a successful career.

Aug 12, 2023; Springfield, MA, USA; Former basketball player and broadcaster Nancy Lieberman arrives at Symphony Hall for the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame induction. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury were just getting started in 1997. They were one of the first teams in the WNBA, as they competed with teams such as the Houston Comets, the New York Liberty, the Los Angeles Sparks and others.

The Mercury had a nice season, and finished 16-12. They even reached the playoffs, but lost to the Liberty.

As one of the original teams, the Mercury went through a unique process. The first eight teams built their rosters through allocation and drafts. Phoenix received Jennifer Gillom and Michele Timms through allocation. They also drafted Toni Foster, Tia Jackson, Umeki Webb and Monique Ambers during the 1997 WNBA Draft.

In between that time, the Mercury also drafted players in the Elite Draft. They drafted Bridget Pettis and Nancy Lieberman.

Lieberman was a second-round pick in that draft, as the Mercury picked her with the 15th pick. She was an established player, as she made a name for herself at Old Dominion University. She also won a silver medal in 1976 with the women's U.S. Olympic team. Then, before the WNBA existed, she played for leagues like the Women's Pro Basketball League (WBL) and the Women's American Basketball Association (WABA).

The legendary guard known as "Lady Magic" was the first pick of the WBL's draft, and she was selected by the Dallas Diamonds. She won Rookie of the Year after averaging 26.3 points. Later on, she won a championship in the WABA in 1984, and she won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award that season.

After her time in those leagues, she played in the United States Basketball League (USBL), which was a men's league.

Lieberman played with the Mercury for one season. She played in 25 games and averaged 2.6 points, 1.6 assists and 1.3 rebounds. At that time, she was 39 years old.

Sep 28, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings assistant coach Nancy Lieberman during media day at the Sacramento Kings practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

After her season with the Mercury, she moved on to coaching. She became the head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock. She was with them from 1998 to 2000. Years later, Lieberman became the coach for the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League (now known as the NBA G-League). Then, she spent time as an assistant for the Sacramento Kings and later, she became a head coach in the BIG3.

One Last Game

Years after her season with Phoenix, she signed a seven-day contract with the Detroit Shock. She was 50 years old at the time, and she played in a game against the Comets. She was waived after that and the Shock went on to win a championship that year.

Lieberman is a legend when it comes to basketball, and with being selected by the Mercury she is a part of their franchise history.

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