The Queen of Basketball

The Queen of Basketball is a 2021 American documentary short film by Ben Proudfoot about basketball legend Lusia Harris. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 10, 2021 and won the Academy Award for [Best Documentary (Short Subject)].

Summary

Lusia Harris reflects on her time as a college basketball star, during which she and her team, Delta State University, won three national championships, and she won a silver medal with the United States women's national basketball team at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Her playing career ended after her graduation, as the Women's [National Basketball Association|WNBA] would not be founded until 1996; she was offered the unique opportunity to try out for the New Orleans Jazz of the NBA, but turned it down, preferring to concentrate on raising a family. She would then return to Delta State University as head coach of their women's team.