• After a high school career of championships and national honors, she was the youngest basketball player in Olympic history to win a medal when the USA women’s team took the silver in Montreal – when she was just 18 years old.
• She led her college team at Old Dominion University to three consecutive major championships: first the WNIT championship, followed the next two years by the AIAW championships – and she personally racked up prestigious national awards and recognitions.
• As a pro player, she led her team to the WABA championship, and was also the scoring leader and the league MVP.
• She has been inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, the Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
• She was head coach of the WNBA’s Detroit Shock for three years.
• She is currently a full-time basketball analyst for ESPN.
• She just turned 50 years old.

Yes, this is a bit of a stunt. It raises some interest, grabs some headlines, and deflects attention from the ugly on-court fight and its fallout. But the fact is that the Shock need some good short-term help immediately, with their star out for the season.

I still remember excitedly watching Nancy and Old Dominion in those amazing championship seasons of 1979 and 1980. The team went 72-2 at that time. Few sporting events have been that exciting. There is no overstating OD’s dominance, or the personal dominance by Nancy herself.

If anyone can step back into the big leagues at age 50 and make a positive impact every minute she’s on the floor, it’s Nancy-freakin-Lieberman.