Editing Nancy Lieberman (section)

===Professional career===
[[File:Moriah Jefferson receiving Nancy Lieberman Award cropped.jpg|right|thumb|Lieberman presenting a trophy to [[Moriah Jefferson]]]]
In 1980 she was selected with the first pick in the [[Women's Pro Basketball League]] (WBL) draft by the [[Dallas Diamonds (basketball)|Dallas Diamonds]].<ref name="Skaine 128">{{harvnb|Skaine|2001|p=128}}</ref><ref name="dont-tell-her"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wblmemories.com/Dallas%20Diamonds.htm |title=Dallas Diamonds (1979–81) |access-date=July 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517184649/http://www.wblmemories.com/Dallas%20Diamonds.htm |archive-date=May 17, 2008 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> She helped Dallas to the 1981 WBL finals, where they lost to the Nebraska Wranglers in five games.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-nebraska-captures-wbl-c/149991648/ |title=Nebraska captures WBL championship |newspaper=[[Miami Herald]] |place=Omaha, Nebraska |agency=UPI |page=50 |date=1981-04-22 |access-date=2024-06-24 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> She was named the "rookie of the year", after averaging 26.3 points per game.<ref name="hockoksports">{{cite web |url=http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/liebermannancy.shtml |title=Lieberman, Nancy |access-date=July 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129221609/http://hickoksports.com/biograph/liebermannancy.shtml |archive-date=29 November 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Lieberman's WBL career is featured in the book ''Mad Seasons: The Story of the First Women's Professional Basketball League, 1978–1981''.

In 1981, she played for the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] [[Summer Pro League]] team.<ref>{{cite news |title=Star woman eager competes on Laker summer league team |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19810720.2.110&srpos=2&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-Summer+Pro+League-------1 |access-date=14 February 2019 |work=Desert Sun |agency=Associated Press |date=20 July 1981 |location=Palm Springs, California |page=C4}}</ref>

In 1984, she once again suited up for the Dallas Diamonds, signing a three-year, $250,000 contract with the team to play in the [[Women's American Basketball Association (1984)|Women's American Basketball Association]] (WABA).<ref name="hockoksports"/> Averaging 27 points per game and voted the league's Most Valuable Player, she helped Dallas win the 1984 WABA championship, but the league folded after the season.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Stan Hovatter Jr. |title=Lieberman working to help Diamonds, league improve |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/638649317/ |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |date=16 December 1984 |page=16B}}</ref> The final game played was between the Diamonds and the WABA [[All-Stars]], where Lieberman scored 19 points and was named the game's MVP in the Diamonds' 101–94 victory.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Marjorie Lewis |title=Diamonds defeated WABA all-stars |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/638991388/ |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=[[Fort Worth Star Telegram]] |date=17 December 1984 |page=6D}}</ref>

In 1986, Lieberman signed with the [[Springfield Fame]] of the men's professional [[United States Basketball League]] (USBL)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1986/06/23/mixing-it-up-with-the-guys/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012061622/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1064959/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-date=October 12, 2008 |title=Mixing It Up With The Guys |access-date=July 12, 2009 |work=CNN |date=June 23, 1986}}</ref> where she went on to average 1.7 points in 11 minutes per game.<ref name="dont-tell-her">{{cite news |author1=Carol Sliwa |title=Don´t tell her 'girls don't play' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/533177393/? |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=[[The Berkshire Eagle]] |date=24 September 1986 |page=D2}}</ref> She remained in the league the following season, playing for the [[Long Island Knights]].{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} Later, she toured with the [[Washington Generals]], who served as the regular opponent of the [[Harlem Globetrotters]], where she met her future husband, teammate Tim Cline.<ref name="hockoksports"/>

She was elected to the [[Basketball Hall of Fame]]<ref name="HOF" /> as a player in 1996 and to the [[Women's Basketball Hall of Fame]]<ref name="Nancy Lieberman" /> in 1999.

In the newly formed [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]]'s inaugural year in 1997, Lieberman played for the [[Phoenix Mercury]].<ref name="Skaine 129">{{harvnb|Skaine|2001|p=129}}</ref> At the age of 39, she was the WNBA's oldest player.<ref name="Woolum p 177" /> On July 24, 2008, at 50 years old, Lieberman signed a seven-day contract with the eventual WNBA Champion [[Detroit Shock]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wnba.com/transactions/WNBA_2008.html |title=2008 WNBA Transactions |access-date=July 12, 2009}}</ref> breaking her own previous record as the oldest player in league history and returning to the franchise she coached a decade prior.

That same day, the Shock played a game against the [[Houston Comets]] where Lieberman saw playing time. Lieberman recorded two assists in nine minutes of playing time, but Detroit lost the game 79–61.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/l/liebena01w/gamelog/2008/|title=Nancy Lieberman 2008 Game Log|website=[[Basketball Reference]]|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=22 May 2023}}</ref> This ended up being her final WNBA game, as she was waived the next day on July 25, 2008.<ref name="BRef Career"/> The Shock went on to win the [[2008 WNBA Finals|WNBA Finals]] that season.