Lusia was a basketball player from the United States. She was regarded as one of the forefathers of women’s basketball.
She attended Delta State University from 1975 to 1977. Harris won three consecutive Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) National Championships, the predecessors to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships.
In 1999, Harris was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame alongside her collegiate coach, Margaret Wade, and her national team teammates, Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers, and Pat Head.
She was named into the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame.
She was elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as the first African-American woman in 1992.
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Lusia Harris Profile
Before moving any further, let’s have a look at Lusia Harris’s profile.
| Full name | Lusia Lucy Harris |
| Common name | Lusia Harris |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | February 10, 1955 |
| Place of birth | Minter City, Mississippi |
| Date of death | January 18, 2022 (aged 66) |
| Place of death | Mound Bayou, Mississippi |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
| Ethnicity | Not known |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Father name | Willie Harris |
| Mother name | Ethel Harris |
| Siblings | 10 siblings ( 5 daughters, 6 sons) |
| High school | Amanda Elzy (Greenwood, Mississippi) |
| College | Delta State (1973–1977) |
| Profession | Basketball |
| Source of income | Athletics |
| Position | Center |
| Representing | United States |
| Net worth | Between 1 to 5 million dollar |
Lusia Harris Early Life
In high school, Harris played basketball for coach Conway Stewart. Lusia Harris was named team captain and made the state All-Star team three years after winning the most valuable player award. She set a school record with 46 points in one game, propelling her team to the state tournament in Jackson, Mississippi.
After graduating from high school, Lusia intended to attend Alcorn State University, which did not have a women’s basketball team.
Lusia Harris Age, Nationality and Religion
Lusia Harris was an American basketball player born on February 10, 1955, and died on January 18, 2022. Her zodiac sign was Aquarius, according to her birth date.
She was an American citizen who practiced Christianity.
Lusia Harris Family
In Minter City, Mississippi, Harris was born to cranberry farmer Ethel Harris and Willie Harris. She was the fourth of five daughters and the tenth of eleven children at Amanda Elzy High School in Greenwood, Mississippi. Her brothers and one of her older sisters, Janie, were all basketball players.
Information about her parents and relatives is unavailable, but we will notify you as soon as it becomes available.
Lusia Harris Height and Weight
Harris stands 6 ft 3 in or 1.91 m tall and weighs approximately 185 lb or 84 kg. More information about her body dimensions, such as her chest, waist, and hip size, is not available.
She has black hair and black eyes.
| Height | 6 feet 3 inches or 1.91 meter |
| Weight | 185 lb or 84 kg |
| Body measurement | Not available |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Black |
Lusia Harris Husband
Lusia was a happily married woman. On February 4, 1977, she married George E. Stewart. They’d enjoyed a beautiful life together. The couple had blessed with four children, including two sons and twin daughters.
Lusia Harris Career
Harris competed for the United States national team and won a silver medal at the 1976 Olympic Games, the first to include a women’s basketball event.
Lusia was the first and only woman ever officially drafted by the National Basketball Association (NBA), a men’s professional basketball league, while playing professional basketball with the Houston Angels of the Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL).
Lusia Harris College Career
Harris led the Lady Statesmen to a 16–2 record in her first year at Delta State, 1973–74. However, they could not qualify for the national championship after finishing third in the regional event.
They went to the final, where they met the Mighty Macs of Immaculata University, who had won the previous three AIAW titles in a row.
Harris led Delta State to a 90–81 victory over Immaculata by scoring 32 points and grabbing 16 rebounds.
In the 1975–76 season, Delta State and Immaculata played in the national tournament final for the second time, and Harris led Delta State to a 69–64 win.
Harris was the team’s only African American player at Delta State.
The Walter Sillers Coliseum, where Harris played for the Lady Statesmen, was named after Walter Sillers Jr., an avowed White Nationalist. Sillers’ name is still on the arena as of December 2021.
Lusia Harris Achievements
| Year | Awards |
| 3× AIAW champion | 1975–1977 |
| 3× AIAW Tournament MVP | 1975–1977 |
| 3× All-American | 1975–1977 |
| Honda Sports Award for basketball | 1977 |
| Broderick Cup | 1977 |
Lusia Harris Net Worth
Her net worth was estimated to be between 1 and 5 million dollars before her death on January 18, 2022.
Lusia Harris Death
THE ‘Queen of Basketball,’ as well as the first woman ever to be recruited by the NBA, died on January 18, 2022, at the age of 66.
Lusia Harris died on Tuesday, according to Ann Meyers Drysdale, vice president of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.
Harris’s death was verified by Delta State University, where she won three national titles in succession while in college.
Harris’ cause of death was not immediately known. The school dubbed Harris “one of the best women’s basketball players to ever grace the court.”
Some Facts about Lusia Harris
- In 1975, Harris was selected to play in the FIBA World Championship.
- The New Orleans Jazz selected Harris 137th overall in the seventh round of the 1977 NBA draft.
- Harris was voted the tournament’s most valuable player after scoring 138 points and grabbing 63 rebounds in four games at the national championship.
- In 1975, the championship game was televised across the United States (albeit delayed). For the first time this year, a major network will broadcast women’s basketball games nationally.
- In Greenwood, Harris died on January 18, 2022, little than a month before her 67th birthday.
- Our heartfelt condolences to the Harris family at this difficult time. We wish you peace, comfort, courage, and much love. Our love and prayers are with Lusia Harris’ family, friends, relatives, and fans at this terrible time.