On July 17th, according to renowned journalist Wojnarowski: Lindsay Harding, the G League’s Coach of the Year and former No. 1 pick in the WNBA, has joined the Lakers coaching staff as an assistant coach.
Harding is 40 years old and coached the Stockton Kings in the G League last season, earning the Development League Coach of the Year award. She is the first woman in G League history to be named Coach of the Year.
In 2007, while playing for Duke University, Harding was named the NCAA Women’s Basketball Player of the Year and was subsequently selected as the top pick by the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA draft. She is the first No. 1 pick in WNBA history to be traded, exchanged for the All-Star forward Tamera Young from the Lynx.
During her WNBA career, Harding averaged 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4 assists per game, retiring from the league in 2017.
This reunion marks Harding’s return to work with JJ Redick, both having previously played for Duke University and the Philadelphia 76ers.
In August 2018, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that they had hired Lindsay Harding as a full-time scout for the upcoming season.
In 2019, she became an assistant coach for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.
In 2023, she coached the Stockton Kings, becoming the first African American female head coach in G League history.