It’s time for another episode of the Locked on Women’s Basketball podcast. In this episode, The Next’s A-10 beat writer Natalie Heavren is joined by the legendary Nancy Lieberman. Lieberman was recently honored with a statue at her alma mater of Old Dominion, and her charity unveiled a “Dream Court” in Norfolk, Va. She discusses her experiences playing for the dynastic Old Dominion, the 1976 Olympics, as well as her stints in the WBL and the WNBA.
Lieberman on how a younger her never could have predicted the success of her career:
You couldn’t have written this script, because our world has changed so dramatically over the past four or five decades. I was just happy to get a scholarship to go to college and to get out of my hood of New York… to change my life and have opportunity, and try to find some happiness as a human being, even though that was connected to how intense a competitor that I was.
Lieberman on having the opportunity to play in the WBL after her collegiate career:
I was happy there was a women’s professional league. I mean I always thought I was a professional when I went to college. I love Old Dominion, but Old Dominion didn’t give me a scholarship because I was cute. They gave me a scholarship because I could play and hopefully increase revenues and put people in the gym and the arena. … I mean we really set the stage for Old Dominion, the brand, because of the enormous amount of local and national attention that we got. … The memorable moments that I had was helping to not only play the game, but to change the game and grow the game.
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