Sixers hire former Duke, WNBA star Lindsey Harding as full-time scout

Harding, the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA in 2007, is only the second former WNBA player to be hired for a full-time scouting position with an NBA team. Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jenny Boucek is the other, having done advanced scouting work for the Seattle SuperSonics in 2006.

"I think when you have this goal in mind, your gender shouldn't even matter," Harding told ESPN. "It should be about if you can do it, if you're good, you're experienced, if you know what you're doing and what you're talking about."

Harding, 34, officially retired as a player in 2017 after nine years in the WNBA. She spent last season in the NBA's Basketball Operations Associates Program. After completing the program, she interviewed with several NBA teams, looking for a role that would allow her to learn and grow as both a future front-office executive and maintain a connection to coaching.

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She said Hammon has urged her to make this leap for several years. Four years ago, Harding worked as an assistant on the Toronto Raptors summer league coaching staff, while Hammon was the head coach of the Spurs summer league team. The two point guards bonded over their shared experiences and ambitions.

"I played against Becky for years," Harding said. "During this last season, especially working in the front office [program] and going to games, I spent some time talking to her. She was always telling me, 'You need to come. You need to come. We need more women here.'" Harding said that experience with the Raptors was pivotal in her decision to pursue an NBA job after her playing career.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24397430/philadelphia-76ers-hire-former-duke-wnba-star-lindsey-harding-full-scout