Lusia Harris

Lusia Mae Harris (February 10, 1955 – January 18, 2022) was an American professional basketball player.

She was the fourth of five daughters and the tenth of eleven children, all of whom attended Amanda Elzy High School near Greenwood, Mississippi.

[5] After her high school graduation, she had planned to attend Alcorn State University, which did not have a women's basketball team.

[6] However, she was recruited by Melvin Hemphill to play for Margaret Wade, who was restarting a collegiate women's team at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.

[7] She attended school on a combination of academic scholarships and work study funds,[6] since this was prior to Title IX.

They went all the way to the final, where they met the Mighty Macs of Immaculata University who had won the last three consecutive AIAW championships.

[9] In the final, Harris scored 32 points and recorded 16 rebounds to lead Delta State past Immaculata 90–81.

In her senior, 1976–77, season, Delta State played a game in the Madison Square Garden in which Harris scored 47 points.

[8] She also graduated holding fifteen of eighteen of Delta State's team, single game, and career records.

In the FIBA World Championship, the United States compiled a 4–3 record and finished in eighth place.

In the opening game against Japan, Harris scored the first ever points in women's Olympic basketball tournament.

[25] In the seventh round of the 1977 NBA draft, the New Orleans Jazz selected Harris with the 137th pick overall.

[28] It was later revealed that she was pregnant at the time, which made her unable to attend the Jazz's training camp.

[4] Harris graduated from Delta State University with a bachelor's degree in health, physical education and recreation in 1977.

[37] In 1999, Harris, along with her college coach, Margaret Wade, and her teammates in the national team, Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers and Pat Head, were among the 26 inaugural inductees to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Sign along Highway 49 East recognizing Minter City as the hometown of Lusia Harris