Former Duke and WNBA player Lindsey Harding has been hired by the Sacramento Kings as an assistant coach.
“Lindsey is a rising star and I’m so excited to have her join our incredibly experienced team of coaches,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “Her basketball IQ and proven success on the court will be a valuable addition to our growing team as we work together to build a winning culture for many years to come.”
Most recently a player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers beginning in April, Harding was the first black woman to become a full-time NBA scout when the Sixers hired her before the 2018-19 season.
Other female coaches in the NBA include Kara Lawson of the Boston Celtics, Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Spurs, Jenny Boucek of the Dallas Mavericks and Lindsay Gottlieb of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In a nine-year WNBA playing career, Harding had stints with the Minnesota Lynx (2007-08), Washington Mystics (2009-10), Atlanta Dream (2011-12), Los Angeles Sparks (2013-14), New York Liberty (2016) and Phoenix Mercury (2016). She averaged 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 28.7 minutes in 270 career games.
She was the first overall pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft. Playing four seasons at Duke, Harding won the 2007 Naismith College Player of the Year award and, in 2018, became the third women’s basketball student-athlete to be enshrined in the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame.
Walton was hired as head coach of the Kings in April after he parted ways with the Los Angeles Lakers. He earlier hired former Phoenix Suns coach Igor Kokoskov as an assistant.
