Most of the time, when NBA teams make additions to their scouting departments, it doesn't register as news. However, most of the time, teams aren't adding former No. 1 overall picks from the WNBA to their staff. That's what the Philadelphia 76ers are doing, however, hiring Lindsey Harding as a full-time scout.
Harding, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft, starred at Duke before her 10-year WNBA career. She also played in the 2016 Olympics for Belarus. She is just the second-ever former WNBA player to be hired as an NBA scout. Via ESPN:
The Philadelphia 76ers have hired former Duke and WNBA star Lindsey Harding as a full-time scout for next season.
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.
Harding noted that one day she envisions herself working in a front office.
"I would love to be in the front office and really understand how to put a team together," she said. "I still love being on the floor and having the opportunity to coach. But I really just wanted to get my foot in the door."
The addition of Harding to the Sixers' scouting department continues a trend in recent years of NBA teams hiring women for more high-profile jobs. Becky Hammon, who has been on the San Antonio Spurs' staff for a few seasons now, was recently promoted to the top assistant to Gregg Popovich. Additionally, the Dallas Mavericks hired Jenny Boucek as a full-time assistant coach earlier this summer.
