Hardwood HERstory

Throughout this podcast, host Zora Stephenson has interviewed big names in basketball and explored the various ways that women are making their mark on the sport. But Zora has also had a major impact on the game. The first woman to ever do television play-by-play for the Milwaukee Bucks, she is paving the way for future generations of broadcasters. Producer Kaitlin Urka puts Zora on the other side of the microphone to learn about her journey and to hear how she is working to inspire the next generation.

When it comes to professional sports we often spotlight players and coaches, but there is another pivotal role that has been integral in growing the game: agents. We sit down with Allison Galer who, at just 22 years old, launched her own agency aptly titled “Disrupt the Game”. She has represented some of the biggest names in women’s basketball, like Lisa Leslie, Chiney Ogwumike, and Elizabeth Williams. She shares some of her biggest challenges as a woman in a male-dominated field and explains how she is working to change the industry.

WNBA All-Star Elizabeth Williams has made her presence known on and off the court. She’s led movements for social justice while at the same time being one of the league leaders in defense. We chat with the Washington Mystics star and learn what drives her in life and in basketball.

One of the best point guards to ever don an Irish uniform, Niele Ivey has found success and left her stamp at every level of basketball. A high school state champion, an NCAA champion, the 19th pick in the WNBA Draft, and the first black female head coach in Notre Dame history are just a handful of her accomplishments. Niele talks about family, faith, and the sport that has served as a foundation for so much of her life. We also chat with Muffet McGraw, the legendary coach who recruited Niele as a player and tapped her to take over her role as the Irish head coach.

In 1997 Dee Kantner made history by becoming one of the first female officials in the NBA. She takes us through her journey to becoming a referee and gives insight into what it takes to do one of the most criticized and challenging jobs in basketball. We’ll also hear from Monty McCutchen, senior vice president and head of referee development and training for the NBA, to talk about the current state of diversity within the league’s officiating ranks.

Ann Meyers Drysdale is the first woman to have signed a 4-year athletic scholarship. She was also the first woman to sign an NBA contract. The Hall-of-Famer talks about her basketball journey, shares her hopes for the sport, and offers up some of the advice she has found helpful on her road to success.

Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Ben Proudfoot joins us to tell the story of Lusia “Lucy” Harris. Lucy Harris led Delta State to 3-straight Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women National Championships (1975-77) and went on to score the first points in Olympic women’s basketball history. Her story is one that if you don’t know, you should.

Zora Stephenson, NBC Sports and Milwaukee Bucks reporter, tells stories of women across all levels of basketball who, while often found in the shadows, have quietly and significantly changed the sport. Through interviews with these women, their families, and peers, we learn how they did it their way, often challenging gender limitations and inequities, forever changing basketball for the better.