Women’s basketball is peaking in ways the game has never seen before, with players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Juju Watkins filling up arenas.

“These players today are unbelievable. They’re awesome, they’re beautiful. They get it. They’re valued. They’re pioneers, and they don’t even know they’re pioneers,” said Nancy Lieberman.

The Hall of Famer enjoys watching the game evolve from the day she first picked up a basketball.

“You know, in my day, you had to just hope that you had a chance to play a sport.”

Nancy remembers the day her baseball coach pulled her aside on game day to deliver heartbreaking news.

“And he goes, ‘They’re not going to let you play.’ I said, ‘What do you mean they’re not going to let me play?’ He said, ‘They won’t insure you because you’re a girl.'”

The rejection forced Nancy to look elsewhere to fill a void she desperately needed. Her childhood memories come with a lot of struggles living in a single-parent household.

“I think more I was damaged by my environment, and I needed sports to get out of my house.”

Basketball became her true passion, leading her to the historic courts of Rucker Park, where players like Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, and Charlie Scott once played.

The Rockaway girl who took trains to Rucker Park worked her way to being invited to try out for the women’s national basketball team as a sophomore in high school.

“My high school took a can of corn, cut it open, cleaned it, and put it on an envelope around the side that said we’re endeavoring $300 to send Nancy to the Olympic tryouts.”

The donations raised enough for Nancy and her coach to take the trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the rest was history.

The birth of Lady Magic helped lead Old Dominion University to back-to-back Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championships. This was followed by becoming the first overall pick in the 1980 WBL Draft and later becoming the first woman to play in a men’s professional league in 1986.

“I thought, in many cases, some of the guys playing against me were at a disadvantage. I knew also they were kind enough to let me be and play the game that I love.”

The strength that made her fearless came from one of the greatest athletes of all time.

“There’s just the one and only. Muhammad Ali.”

Nancy’s hero from the age of 10 became a friend when the two met face-to-face.

“He taught me about racism; he taught me about what hurts the Black community. He taught me about how to be a philanthropist. He taught me about being an everyday champion. Then, the most important part of the conversation is he said, ‘Nancy, God made you special.'”

She absorbs the information from Ali while always remembering how strangers at Rockaway High School pitched in when she needed it most. It’s the reason the Hall of Famer focuses her energy on the Nancy Lieberman Charities.

“We have given over $12 million; we’ve sent over 110 high school seniors to college.”

Her favorite part about her foundation is Dream Courts, which has 133 courts around the country, providing hope through hoops and education for those who need it most.

“We can get them to another level of life. I know I was that kid, and somebody changed my life, and here I am in 2025 doing what I’m doing.”