Iman Shumpert sees one scenario where a WNBA player could play in the NBA: “You need that adjustment period”

The idea of a woman playing in the NBA has been floated around for decades. In 1979, the Utah Jazz selected UCLA star Lusia Harris in the seventh round of the draft. That made her the only woman officially drafted by an NBA team. Harris declined the opportunity to try out, so that was it.

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That didn’t stop the conversation, though. As the women’s game has grown, generational WNBA talents occasionally prompted the question of whether someone could eventually make the jump.

The obvious hurdle is the physical gap. The difference in height, weight and strength means even an exceptionally competent female player would need to overcome disadvantages that skill alone might not erase.

Iman Shumpert, however, is not entirely closing the door on the possibility. Even though it’s a long shot, the 2016 NBA champion envisions one scenario where the improbable could happen.

The adjustment period is the key

Women’s basketball has undoubtedly produced extraordinary talent. Cheryl Miller was a trailblazer and is regarded as one of the best female basketball players of all time. Hell, people even joked that HOFer Reggie Miller, Cheryl’s younger brother, is just the second-best hooper in the family.

In the later years, women’s basketball fans followed Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson. Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi and Candace Parker followed. More recently, A’ja Wilson, Olivia Miles and Caitlin Clark pushed the women’s game to another level.

But then again, it begs the question: Could a girl really hang with the boys if it came down to it?

“It’s the physicals,” Shumpert

But then again, Shump quickly moved in to clarify his statement.

“Don’t get me wrong. They could probably play. I just don’t think it’s going to translate much… Let’s say somebody got on the team; I will say this. If one of the females got on the team and they kept her for four years, she’d be ready. You need that adjustment period to adjust to how (the NBA guys play),” Iman continued.

It’s actually a thoughtful way for Shump to look at the hypothetical. Instead of dismissing the idea altogether, he acknowledged that all they needed was the time to adjust to the demands of the men’s game.

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For years, though? That’s where Iman’s idea becomes difficult to imagine in practice. NBA roster spots are too valuable for a team to devote a slot to a four-year project, regardless of gender.

So while Shumpert may have identified a conceivable path for a woman to eventually compete at that level, good luck finding a franchise that’s willing to play that long a game. That may be the biggest obstacle of all.

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It’s no longer an absurd question

Perhaps the most interesting part of this conversation is that the question keeps coming up. Women’s basketball has never had more visibility and its biggest stars are increasingly becoming household names.

Whether the newfound popularity and talent improvement ever produce someone capable of crossing over to the NBA remains to be seen. But keep in mind, Harris was drafted nearly five decades ago and nobody has followed her through that door yet.

Those physical differences between men and women are probably something that will always keep women in the WNBA.

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This story was originally published September 20, 2026 at 10:33 AM.