Nancy Lieberman – Biography, Facts About The Basketball Player

Quick Facts

No one would dare argue that Nancy Lieberman isn’t one of the most prominent individuals in American Women’s basketball. The highlights of her career as a player and her contributions to the sport after she retired isn’t something history wouldn’t be quick to forget. Among other attainments, she won the Honda Sports Award way back in 1979; she also won the Honda-Broderick Cup that same year before picking up the former award again the next year (1980).

As a professional player and as a coach, her efforts have earned her an induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. That’s not all, Liberman is a St. Louis Jewish Sports Hall of Famer, the Nassau County Sports Hall of Famer, and the Virginia Sports Hall of Famer. Add that to all the medals she earned representing the United States in competitions and you will see why she’s such a big deal.

Owing to the magnitude of her accomplishment in basketball, details of her career has towered over other aspects of her life, casting a shadow on such things one may need to know about the woman’s personal life. Anyway, that end’s here! The following are a concise description of Nancy Lieberman’s life and facts that are not very much known about the former basketball player.

Nancy Lieberman Biography

Even though Nancy Lieberman was raised in Far Rockaway, New York alongside Clifford her older brother, it was in the most populous borough of New York City that she was birthed. Yes, she was born in Brooklyn on the 1st of July 1958. The former basketball player is Jewish, in fact, she has often stressed that she is “100% Jewish.” According to reports, her paternal grandparents had the concentration camp numbers branded on their wrists. It is also said that her great-grandparents died during The Holocaust which saw the killing of about 6 million European Jews.

Nancy’s parents, Jerome and Renee Lieberman abandoned their marriage when she was still a lass. As such, she was basically raised by her mom who was not too supportive of her daughter’s aspiration to become a professional basketballer. Being athletically inclined, Nancy was interested in a vast range of sports before she eventually settled for basketball. It is said that she played the game with boys until her second year in high school.

Nancy was quick to set herself apart in the sport. Playing for the Far Rockaway High School team, she earned a vast recognition as one of the finest female basketballers in the country. This saw her represent the nation at the 1975 Mexico Pan American Games; winning the gold medal, her fame skyrocketed.

She would go on to play for the USA basketball team in various tournaments and as well have her college career with the Lady Monarchs of the Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. To the best of our knowledge, it was while she was with the Lady Monarchs of Old Dominion that she earned “Lady Magic” as a nickname. For her accomplishments with the team, Nancy Lieberman would later be inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame; this was in 1985.

Facts To Know About The Basketball Player

1. Her career as a pro basketballer and as a coach

It was in 1997 that Nancy Lieberman was picked by the Phoenix Mercury as the 15th overall selection in the 2nd round of the WNBA draft. Before then, she played for various teams in leagues like the Women’s Pro Basketball League, the United States Basketball League, and the Summer Pro League.

Her career as a coach kicked off in 1998 when she was hired as the head coach of WNBA’s Detroit Shock. She would later coach the Texas Legends of the NBA G League team and later serve as an assistant coach to the Sacramento Kings.

2. Nancy Lieberman’s husband and kids

While it is very much believed that Nancy is currently single, she was once a married woman. As the story goes, Lady Magic met Tim Cline who was also playing for a team in the United States Basketball League and married him on the 18th of May 1988.

The union wasn’t meant to last as they divorced in 2001. The union produced a daughter they named Macy Cline and three sons – T.J Carson, and Schaefer Cline.

T.J is the most popular of their kids. Like his parents, he’s a professional basketball player currently serving the Hapoel Holon of the Israeli Premier League.

3. Her Sexual Orientation

From what’s obvious, one would assert that Nancy Lieberman is straight, but there are those who would insist that she is also sexually attracted to her own gender. The reason for this is the relationship she had with who has made it known that she is a lesbian.

Even as we can only tell that Martina only trained Nancy at some point, many swear that there’s more to what they had.

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4. What’s her net worth?

Apart from her career as a professional basketballer and as a coach, Nancy has been involved in other things which includes working as a broadcaster. In view of all that she has been into, there is no doubt that she has been able to accumulate a good fortune over the years. Nonetheless, the total value of her wealth is best known to her, this is why you will find that some sources have estimated her net worth to be as much as $99 million and others placing it at just $3 million.

5. Nancy Lieberman’s Height 

Although details of her body measurements are hard to come by, Nancy has aged with grace. Anyway, Lady Magic is 8 inches taller than 5 feet (1.78 m) and you wouldn’t have to search hard to find her weight listed as 79 kg (174 lb).

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.