Lindsey Harding

{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1984)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Lindsey Harding

| image = Lindsey Harding.jpg

| caption = Harding, {{circa}} 2022

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 8

| weight_lbs = 139

| league = NBA

| team = Los Angeles Lakers

| position = Assistant coach

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|6|12}}

| birth_place = Mobile, Alabama, U.S.

| nationality = American / Belarusian

| high_school = Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas)

| college = Duke (2002–2007)

| draft_league = WNBA

| draft_round = 1

| draft_pick = 1

| draft_year = 2007

| draft_team = Phoenix Mercury

| career_start = 2007

| career_end = 2017

| career_number = 10, 12

| career_position = Point guard

| coach_start = 2022

| years1 = {{WNBA Year|2007}}–{{WNBA Year|2008}}

| team1 = Minnesota Lynx

| years2 = 2008–2009

| team2 = Mersin BSB. S.K.

| years3 = 2009–2010

| team3 = VICI Aistes Kaunas

| years4 = {{WNBA Year|2009}}–{{WNBA Year|2010}}

| team4 = Washington Mystics

| years5 = {{WNBA Year|2011}}–{{WNBA Year|2012}}

| team5 = Atlanta Dream

| years6 = 2013

| team6 = Galatasaray

| years7 = {{WNBA Year|2013}}–{{WNBA Year|2014}}

| team7 = Los Angeles Sparks

| years8 = 2014–2015

| team8 = Edirne Belediyesi

| years9 = 2015–2016

| team9 =Dynamo Kursk

| years10 = 2016

| team10 =Yakin Dogu

| years11 = {{WNBA Year|2016}}

| team11 = New York Liberty

| years12 = 2016

| team12 =Phoenix Mercury

| years13 = 2016–2017

| team13 =Beşiktaş J.K.

|cyears1 = {{nbay|2022|full=y}}

|cteam1 = Sacramento Kings (assistant)

|cyears2 = 2023–2024

|cteam2 = Stockton Kings

|cyears3 = {{nbay|2024|start}}–present

|cteam3 = Los Angeles Lakers (assistant)

| highlights =

As player:

As head coach:

| wnba_profile = lindsey_harding

}}

Lindsey Marcie Harding (born June 12, 1984) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. She is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Throughout her playing career, Harding played for the Minnesota Lynx, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and has played overseas in Turkey and Russia. She was previously a scout and a player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas, and also holds a Belarusian passport.

College career

Harding had a standout career at Duke University. As a freshman in 2002–2003 she was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team, averaging 6.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.8 steals and had an ACC-best 2.1 assist/turnover ratio. As a sophomore in 2003–04 she averaged 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.0 steals and had an ACC-best 2.2 assist/turnover ratio.

Harding was redshirted for the 2004–05 season because of violation of team rules. She returned as a junior for 2005–2006 and was an Honorable Mention Kodak and Associated Press All-America, ACC Defensive Player of the Year. She averaged 10.7 points, 4.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals as a junior.

Harding finished her college career with 1,298 points, 25 blocks, 579 assists, 296 steals and 565 rebounds in 128 games (school record). She was only the sixth player in ACC history to register 1,000 points, 500 assists, 500 rebounds and 250 steals.

Despite her tremendous career numbers, contributions and a 32–2 record, she left Duke without winning an NCAA championship. Harding's senior season at Duke ended with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights' upset of the Blue Devils in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA tournament, a one-point upset sealed by Harding's missing two free throws with 0.1 seconds remaining in the game.

Following her senior season, Harding entered the 2007 WNBA draft.

On January 20, 2008, Harding was honored by having her jersey number (10) retired, becoming only the second Duke women's basketball player after former teammate Alana Beard to be bestowed that honor. Some have questioned whether Duke should have bestowed such an honor, given the undisclosed reasons behind her redshirt year.{{cite web |last=Beaton |first=Gregory |title=Lindsey hardly belongs in Cameron's rafters |url=http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2008/01/lindsey-hardly-belongs-camerons-rafters |publisher=Duke Chronicle |date=2008-01-15 |access-date=Jan 15, 2008}} In addition, on December 18, 2007, her jersey No. 12 was retired by Cy-Fair High School.

=College statistics=

{{NBA player statistics legend}}

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Team

!GP

!Points

!FG%

!3P%

!FT%

!RPG

!APG

!SPG

!BPG

!PPG

2002–03

|Duke

|37

|231

|43.8

|7.7

|76.5

|3.9

|3.4

|1.8

|0.2

|6.2

2003–04

|Duke

|34

|230

|45.9

|24.1

|65.5

|4.5

|4.9

|2.0

|0.1

|6.8

2004–05

|Duke

|colspan="10" | Redshirt

2005–06

|Duke

|35

|374

|48.1

|41.1

|78.1

|3.7

|4.5

|2.1

|0.1

|10.7

2006–07

|Duke

|34

|463

|44.4

|38.1

|74.8

|4.0

|3.9

|1.5

|0.3

|13.6

Career

|Duke

|140

|1298

|45.5

|34.2

|73.9

|4.0

|4.1

|1.9

|0.2

|9.3

=College awards=

Professional career

=WNBA=

Harding was drafted first overall in the 2007 WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury and was traded to the Minnesota Lynx for forward Tangela Smith the same day.

During the 2007 season, Harding was leading all rookies in scoring before a knee injury ended her season on July 10.http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=bask-w/news/BUN4089982.htm {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} She was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team by the end of the season and finished with averages of 11.7 points and 3.9 assists per game.

On January 30, 2009, Harding was traded to the Washington Mystics for the first and second round picks in the 2009 WNBA draft. She had a stellar season with the Mystics, averaging a career-high 12.8 points and 4.6 assists per game.{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/wnba/players/4129|title=Lindsey Harding - Phoenix Mercury - Women's National Basketball Association - Yahoo! Sports|website=Yahoo Sports}} In her second season with the Mystics, Harding scored a career-high 33 points against the Indiana Fever.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wnba.com/player/lindsey-harding/|title=Lindsey Harding|website=WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA}}

On April 11, 2011, Harding was traded to the Atlanta Dream along with the 2012 2nd round draft pick in exchange for Ta'Shia Phillips, Kelly Miller, and the Dream's 2012 1st round draft pick. In her first season with the Dream, Harding was the starting point guard on the team's roster. Along with Izi Castro Marques, Érika de Souza, Sancho Lyttle and Angel McCoughtry, the Dream were a championship contender in the league. Harding experienced her first WNBA Finals appearance with the team as they had advanced all the way to the WNBA Finals for the second year in a row, but lost to her former team, the Minnesota Lynx in a 3-game sweep.

On February 5, 2013, Harding signed with the Los Angeles Sparks.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/story/_/id/8917644/lindsey-harding-signs-los-angeles-sparks|title=Ex-WNBA All-Star Harding signs with Sparks|website=ESPN.com|date=February 5, 2013 |access-date=2016-06-08}} In her first season with the Sparks, Harding was ranked 5th in assists with a career-high 5.2 assists per game. On August 4, 2013, Harding had 11 points along with a career-high 14 assists in a regular season victory against her other former team, the Washington Mystics.{{Cite web|url=https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/08/04/hardings-career-high-in-assists-lifts-sparks-over-mystics-75-57/|title=Harding's Career High In Assists Lifts Sparks Over Mystics 75-57|date=August 4, 2013}} Despite being an effective distributor on a talented team, the Sparks were nowhere near championship contention as they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. In 2015, the Sparks waived Harding after two seasons with the team.{{Cite web|url=http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/2/10/8016171/la-waives-lindsey-harding|title=Los Angeles Sparks waive Lindsey Harding|last=L.W|date=2015-02-10|website=Swish Appeal|access-date=2016-06-08}}

On April 18, 2016, Harding signed with the New York Liberty.{{Cite web|url=https://liberty.wnba.com/news/liberty-signs-free-agent-guard-lindsey-harding/|title=Liberty Signs Free Agent Guard Lindsey Harding|website=New York Liberty}} She was waived on June 15, after appearing in five games with the Liberty.{{cite web|url=http://www.wnba.com/news/new-york-liberty-waives-guard-lindsey-harding/|title=New York Liberty Waives Guard Lindsey Harding - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA}}

On June 24, 2016, Harding signed with the Phoenix Mercury.{{Cite web|url=https://mercury.wnba.com/news/mercury-sign-former-no-1-overall-pick-lindsey-harding/|title=Mercury Sign Former No. 1 Overall Pick Lindsey Harding|website=Phoenix Mercury}} She was brought in to back up All-Star point guard Diana Taurasi, and coach Sandy Brondello, who worked with Harding while she was with the Sparks, felt that she fit the position.{{Cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/wnba/mercury/2016/06/30/mercury-lindsey-harding-kelsey-bone-wnba/86569424/|title=Mercury fill needs with Lindsey Harding, Kelsey Bone|first=Matthew|last=Bain|website=The Arizona Republic}} Harding appeared in 21 regular season games and then 5 playoff games while helping the Mercury advance all the way to the league semifinals. Following the team's elimination by the Minnesota Lynx, Harding announced her retirement from the WNBA after playing 9 seasons in the league.{{cite web|url=http://sportspagemagazine.com/basketball/pro-basketball/lynx-shoot-down-mercury-another-trip-to-finals-on-tap/|title=Lynx Shoot Down Mercury, Another Trip To Finals On Tap - Sports Page Magazine|website=sportspagemagazine.com|access-date=October 6, 2016|archive-date=October 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009215118/http://sportspagemagazine.com/basketball/pro-basketball/lynx-shoot-down-mercury-another-trip-to-finals-on-tap/|url-status=dead}}

=Overseas=

In the 2008-09 off-season, Harding played for Mersin BSB. S.K. in Turkey.{{Cite web|url=http://basketdergisi.com/lindsey-harding-edirnede.html|title=Lindsey Harding Edirne'de|website=Basket Dergisi|date=September 16, 2014 }} In the 2009-10 off-season, Harding played in Lithuania for VICI Aistes Kaunas.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurobasket.com/index.aspx|title=VICI Aistes Kaunas basketball, News, Roster, Rumors, Stats, Awards, Transactions, Details-eurobasket|website=Eurobasket LLC}} In the 2012-13 off-season, Harding played in Turkey for Galatasaray. In the 2014-15 off-season, Harding played for Edirne Belediyesi in Turkey.{{cite web|url=http://www.edirnesporbasket.com/?p=5117|title=Mersin BŞB\'yi Konuk Ediyoruz|website=www.edirnesporbasket.com|access-date=October 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031150620/http://www.edirnesporbasket.com/?p=5117|archive-date=October 31, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} In the 2015-16 off-season, Harding played for Dynamo Kursk in Russia for the first portion and spent the rest of the off-season playing for Yakin Dogu in Turkey. Following her retirement from the WNBA, Harding signed with Beşiktaş J.K. for the 2016-17 off-season.{{cite web|url=http://www.womensbasketball247.com/2016/08/2016-2017-wnba-overseas-signings/|title=2016-2017 WNBA Overseas Signings|date=August 22, 2016|access-date=October 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930125329/http://www.womensbasketball247.com/2016/08/2016-2017-wnba-overseas-signings/|archive-date=September 30, 2017|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Turkey/news/461171/Besiktas-ink-Lindsey-Harding|title=Basketball News, Scores, Stats, Analysis, Standings|website=www.eurobasket.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bjk.com.tr/en/news/67141/lindsey_harding_signs_with_besiktas_for_2016_17_season.html|title=Beşiktaş J.K. Official Web Site|website=www.bjk.com.tr}}

National team career

=USA Basketball=

Harding was twice part of the long list for the United States women's national basketball team, but missed out on both the 2010 FIBA World Championship in the Czech Republic, and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She is the first Naismith winner since Kate Starbird to not have played for Team USA.{{cite web|url=http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2015/02/24/lindsey-harding-belarus-olympics-womens-basketball/|title=Former WNBA No. 1 draft pick switches from U.S. to Belarus|first=Nick|last=Zaccardi|date=February 24, 2015}}

=Belarus=

In 2015, Harding was invited to play for the Belarus women's national basketball team, who needed more point guards.{{cite web|url=https://www.fiba.basketball/news/belarus-hope-harding-helps-team-reach-olympics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811190506/http://www.fiba.com/news/belarus-hope-harding-helps-team-reach-olympics|url-status=live|archive-date=August 11, 2016|title=Belarus hope Harding helps team reach Olympics|website=FIBA.basketball}} She was approved to the EuroBasket Women 2015 roster after getting a Belarusian passport,http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_3-I9xIK,H52ZNfYSgahgJ0.inplayer_on.inteam_on.intext_on.incoach_on.search_Lindsey%20Harding.x_0.y_0.coid_Fy3zVWswIygmFMVOQ68vK3.htm {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} and helped the team finish the tournament in fourth. This led to Harding playing for Belarus in the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women, that could get her an Olympic spot.{{cite web|url=https://www.fiba.basketball/oqtwomen/2016/news/buyalski-sizes-up-the-competition-in-nantes-woqt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220101006/http://www.fiba.com/oqtwomen/2016/news/buyalski-sizes-up-the-competition-in-nantes-woqt|url-status=live|archive-date=February 20, 2016|title=Buyalski sizes up the competition at Nantes WOQT|website=FIBA.basketball}} With Harding as its leading scorer, Belarus won the fifth and final place for the 2016 Olympic tournament.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2016/06/lindsey-harding-becomes-first-former-duke-womens-basketball-player-to-qualify-for-olympics|title=Lindsey Harding becomes first former Duke women's basketball player to qualify for Olympics|website=The Chronicle}} Harding was listed for the Belarusian roster, though she missed part of the preparation while solving her WNBA commitments.{{cite web|url=https://www.fiba.basketball/olympicswomen/2016/news/belarus-finalise-roster-for-rio-olympics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722132452/http://www.fiba.com/olympicswomen/2016/news/belarus-finalise-roster-for-rio-olympics|url-status=live|archive-date=July 22, 2016|title=Belarus finalise roster for Rio Olympics|date=21 July 2016|publisher=FIBA|access-date=21 July 2016}}

Coaching career

=NBA and G League=

Harding was a player development coach and scout with the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2018–19 season.{{cite web|title=Stockton Kings Name Lindsey Harding Head Coach|url=https://stockton.gleague.nba.com/news/stockton-kings-name-lindsey-harding-head-coach|website=NBA.com|date=June 20, 2023|access-date=April 2, 2024}}

Between 2019 and 2023, Harding spent four seasons with the Sacramento Kings as an assistant coach/player development coach. She was a full-time assistant in the 2022–23 season.

On June 20, 2023, Harding was named head coach of the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League. She led the team to the best record in the 2023–24 season, going 24–10 overall and clinching the No. 1 overall seed in the Western Conference. She was subsequently named the NBA G League Coach of the Year, becoming the first head coach in Stockton Kings history to win the award and made history as the first-ever woman to receive the recognition.{{cite web|title=Lindsey Harding Named 2023-24 NBA G League Coach Of The Year|url=https://gleague.nba.com/news/lindsey-harding-named-2023-24-nba-g-league-coach-of-the-year|website=NBA.com|date=April 2, 2024|access-date=April 2, 2024}}

In July 2024, Harding was named an assistant coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.{{cite web|last=Wojnarowski|first=Adrian|title=Sources: Lakers adding Lindsey Harding to JJ Redick's staff|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40575959/sources-lakers-adding-lindsey-harding-jj-redick-staff|website=ESPN.com|date=July 16, 2024|access-date=July 17, 2024}}{{cite web|title=Lindsey Harding Joins Los Angeles Lakers As Assistant Coach|url=https://goduke.com/news/2024/7/16/womens-basketball-lindsey-harding-joins-lakers-as-assistant-coach.aspx|website=goduke.com|date=July 16, 2024|access-date=July 17, 2024}}

=National team=

In 2021, Harding was named the inaugural head coach of the South Sudan women's national basketball team.{{cite web|url=http://www.fiba.basketball/womensafrobasket/2021/news/lindsey-harding-ready-to-lead-south-sudan-charge/|title=Lindsey Harding ready to lead South Sudan charge|work=FIBA|date=4 May 2021}}

As of June 2023, Harding was head coach of the Mexico women's national basketball team.

WNBA career statistics

{{WNBA player statistics legend}}

=Regular season=

{{WNBA player statistics start}}

|-

| align="left" | 2007

| align="left" | Minnesota

| 20 || 20 || 30.1 || .354 || .229 || .679 || 4.4 || 3.9 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 2.3 || 11.7

|-

| align="left" | 2008

| align="left" | Minnesota

| 24 || 11 || 24.6 || .367 || .080 || .694 || 2.3 || 3.2 || 1.1 || 0.1 || 2.2 || 6.4

|-

| align="left" | 2009

| align="left" | Washington

| 34 || 34 || 35.1 || .435 || .323 || .748 || 4.0 || 4.5 || 1.2 || 0.3 || 2.9 || 12.8

|-

| align="left" | 2010

| align="left" | Washington

| 34 || 34 || 33.2 || .445 || .288 || .766 || 3.0 || 4.0 || 1.3 || 0.1 || 2.7 || 12.1

|-

| align="left" | 2011

| align="left" | Atlanta

| 34 || 33 || 30.5 || .455 || .303 || .733 || 3.2 || 4.8 || 1.0 || 0.1 || 2.3 || 10.5

|-

| align="left" | 2012

| align="left" | Atlanta

| 34 || 32 || 30.6 || .425 || .241 || .818 || 2.8 || 4.5 || 1.3 || 0.2 || 2.0 || 12.3

|-

| align="left" | 2013

| align="left" | Los Angeles

| 33 || 33 || 30.6 || .441 || .182 || .759 || 2.7 || 5.2 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 2.4 || 10.9

|-

| align="left" | 2014

| align="left" | Los Angeles

| 31 || 10 || 22.7 || .333 || .227 || .786 || 1.8 || 3.2 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 1.4 || 5.7

|-

| align="left" | 2016*

| align="left" | New York

| 5 || 3 || 22.9 || .320 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.8 || 3.6 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 1.2 || 3.6

|-

| align="left" | 2016*

| align="left" | Phoenix

| 21 || 0 || 15.6 || .370 || .400 || .870 || 1.7 || 2.1 || 0.5 || 0.1 || 0.9 || 3.9

|-

| align="left" | Career

| align="left" |9 years, 6 teams

| 270 ||210 || 28.7 || .414 || .252 || .755 || 2.9 || 4.0 || 1.1 || 0.2 || 2.2 || 9.8

{{S-end}}

=Postseason=

{{WNBA player statistics start}}

|-

| align="left" | 2009

| align="left" | Washington

| 2 || 2 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|40.5° || .385 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.5 || 4.0 || 1.5 || 0.0 || 5.0 || 10.5

|-

| align="left" | 2010

| align="left" | Washington

| 2 || 2 || 33.5 || .219 || .400 || .625 || 2.5 || 3.0 || 2.0 || 0.0 || 3.0 || 10.5

|-

| align="left" | 2011

| align="left" | Atlanta

| 8 || 8 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|37.8° || .391 || .250 || .743 || 3.0 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|5.9° || 1.8 || 0.2 || 1.6 || 14.5

|-

| align="left" | 2012

| align="left" | Atlanta

| 3 || 3 || style="background:#D3D3D3"|38.0° || .426 || .250 || .889 || 4.7 || 5.3 || 2.6 || 0.3 || 3.6 || 19.0

|-

| align="left" | 2013

| align="left" | Los Angeles

| 3 || 3 || 32.9 || .333 || .000 || .765 || 3.0 || 3.3 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 2.3 || 11.7

|-

| align="left" | 2014

| align="left" | Los Angeles

| 2 || 0 || 9.8 || .500 || .000 || .667 || 0.5 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 4.0

|-

| align="left" | 2016

| align="left" | Phoenix

| 5 || 0 || 9.1 || .462 || .000 || .000 || 0.4 || 1.4 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 1.0|| 2.4

|-

| align="left" | Career

| align="left" |7 years, 4 teams

| 25 || 18 || 29.1 || .376 || .214 || .733 || 2.4 || 3.9 || 1.3 || 0.2 || 2.1 || 10.8

{{s-end}}

References

{{reflist|30em|refs=

{{cite web|title=Women's Basketball Player stats|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/careersearch|website=NCAA|access-date=24 Sep 2015}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=274000038|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912013249/http://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=274000038|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 12, 2017|title=Rutgers vs. Duke - Game Recap - March 24, 2007 - ESPN|website=ESPN.com}}

{{cite web|title=Frances Pomeroy Naismith |url=http://www.wbca.org/pages/AWARDS_frances-pomeroy-naismith |publisher=Women's Basketball Coaches Association |access-date=30 Jun 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715061812/http://www.wbca.org/pages/AWARDS_frances-pomeroy-naismith |archive-date=July 15, 2014 }}

{{cite web|title=WBCA NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year|url=http://www.wbca.org/pages/AWARDS_defensive-player-of-year_d1|publisher=Women's Basketball Coaches Association|access-date=1 Jul 2014}}

{{cite web|title=Twenty-One Finalists In The Mix For Final 2012 U.S. Women's Olympic Basketball Team Roster |url=http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/national/12_woly_21_finalists.html |publisher=USA Basketball |access-date=13 February 2012 |date=February 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216201120/http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/national/12_woly_21_finalists.html |archive-date=February 16, 2012 }}

}}