Lindsey Harding appears to be in demand.
The Charlotte Hornets reportedly were granted permission to interview Stockton Kings head coach and former Sacramento Kings assistant Lindsey Harding for their current head-coaching vacancy, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday, citing sources.
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Charlotte had announced on April 3 that current coach Steve Clifford would step down from the role after the season ends, though he would stay on in an advisory role.
Harding recently made history as the first woman and first woman of color to win G League Coach of the Year after leading Stockton to a league-best 24-10 regular-season record. It was the 39-year-old's debut season with Stockton.
Stockton, though, fell to the Oklahoma City Blue in the Western Conference Semifinals of the G League playoffs on Sunday, thus paving the way for Charlotte to inquire about Harding's availability.
Harding, a Duke product, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft and played in the league for nine seasons -- including time overseas -- before retiring from playing in 2017. She spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings before she was selected to become Stockton's head coach last summer.
NBA
With the Harding news, the Kings could be in line for developing top-tier coaches. Former Stockton head coach -- and Sacramento icon -- Bobby Jackson landed an assistant role with the Philadelphia 76ers after being with the team from 2021-23.
Additionally, Sacramento assistant coach Jordi Fernandez reportedly has also been linked to NBA head-coaching roles, with the Hornets being the most recent team adding him to their list.
Charlotte hasn't made the playoffs since 2015-16, when it lost to the Miami Heat 4-3 in the first round. The Hornets made the Play-In Tournament in 2020-21 and 2021-22 but lost in both.
LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams and rookie Brandon Miller currently are the young, marquee names on the Charlotte roster.
