The Los Angeles Lakers have hired Lindsey Harding as an assistant coach on JJ Redick’s staff, making her the first woman to join the Lakers’ coaching staff. Harding will join other women who are currently on NBA coaching staffs, such as Jenny Boucek (Pacers), Brittni Donaldson (Hawks), and Sonia Raman (Grizzlies).
Harding was named the G League Coach of the Year last season for her work with the Stockton Kings, the Sacramento Kings’ affiliate. In her first season as head coach, she led the Kings to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and to the G League playoffs semifinals.
The Lakers recently made significant changes to their coaching staff. After a disappointing first-round playoff exit, they parted ways with head coach Darvin Ham and hired Redick, who had no previous coaching experience, as their new head coach. Redick has since been assembling his staff, bringing on experienced veterans like Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks, and rehiring Greg St. Jean, who previously served as an assistant with the Lakers under Frank Vogel.
Redick and Harding were both at Duke as players from 2002 to 2006 and later reconnected when Redick played for the Philadelphia 76ers and Harding worked as a player development coach for the team.
During her playing career, Harding was named the Naismith Player of the Year in 2007 and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft. She played nine seasons in the WNBA with six teams and also had international playing experience, particularly in Turkey.
After retiring in 2017, Harding became a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, making history as the first Black woman to hold a full-time scouting role in the NBA. She later transitioned to player development coach. In 2019, Harding was hired by the Sacramento Kings as an assistant coach and remained with the organization until this recent move. She has also coached internationally, serving as the head coach for South Sudan’s women’s national team and currently for Mexico’s women’s national team.
Earlier this year, Harding interviewed for the Charlotte Hornets’ head coaching position, which ultimately went to Charles Lee.
Leave a Reply