The inaugural awards will be presented to the three recipients during the Wings’ Inspiring Women Weekend taking place on Friday, Aug. 4 and Sunday, Aug. 6.
Welcome to your blog post. Use this space to connect with your readers and potential customers in a way that’s current and interesting. Think of it as an ongoing conversation where you can share updates about business, trends, news, and more.
"The Dallas Wings play on a different level on and off the court. The Nancy Lieberman Women of Inspiration Awards will reflect all the amazing women who have worked so hard to change the landscape of our city and country,” Lieberman said. “It's an absolute honor to share this award in my name with so many great women.”
The Dallas Wings announced the creation of a new awards series that not only honors their team ambassador and Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman but honors women in Dallas-Fort Worth making a positive impact in the community.
The awards will be named the Nancy Lieberman Women of Inspiration Awards which will include three honors: Trailblazer Woman of Inspiration, Community Woman of Inspiration and the Businesswoman of Inspiration.
The recipients include Fort Worth's own 'Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall Executive and Director of the Dallas Sports Commission Monica Paul.
Ms. Opal has been named the Community Woman of Inspiration Award winner, Marshall has been named the Trailblazer Woman of Inspiration Award winner and Paul has been named the Businesswoman of Inspiration winner.
The inaugural awards will be presented to the three recipients during the Wings’ Inspiring Women Weekend taking place on Friday, Aug. 4 and Sunday, Aug. 6 when the team faces off against the Chicago Sky on their homecourt, College Park Center, in Arlington.
Ms. Opal and Paul will be in attendance on Friday to accept their awards and take part in a halftime fireside chat. Marshall will receive her award on Sunday and will too share her story during a halftime chat.
For over four decades, Ms. Opal has blazed the trail for community outreach, diversity, inclusion and Juneteenth to become a federal holiday -- which was achieved in 2021. Lee was also recently nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, honored with a portrait in the Texas State House and received an honorary doctorate from UNT.
After a 36-year career at AT&T where she helped develop and execute the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, Marshall became CEO of the Mavs in 2018. Since then, the organization has received the NBA’s Inclusion Leadership award twice. Her first book, You’ve Been Chosen, released in September 2022, was nominated for an NAACP Image award.
Paul continues to help the city of Dallas to be the top choice for major sporting events, including the recent NCAA Women's Final Four. The Wings said, "Paul has proven instrumental in generating billions of dollars in economic impact for Dallas since the commission was formed nine years ago. That includes bringing more than 300 events to the area creating tens of thousands of jobs."
Dallas Wings President and CEO Greg Bibb said the awards were named after Lieberman because she has been a pillar in the DFW community and has continually inspired the Wings to do more for others.
“We all continue to benefit from her dedication to growing the game and her selfless acts of kindness. Naming these awards in honor of Nancy is a way of showing our gratitude for the trail she has blazed for everyone playing and working in women’s basketball today,” Bibb said in a news release.
Lieberman was named ambassador of the Wings in March of this year. Following her playing career, she has coached in the NBA, WNBA, G-League and currently serves as the head coach for the BIG3’s Power.
Her charitable efforts across DFW with Nancy Lieberman Charities has shown how much she values providing a safe space for youth, hosting basketball clinics, creating scholarships and program, and building ‘Dream Courts’ in the community and around the US.
The two-time Olympian shared what the awards mean to her and the community.
"The Dallas Wings play on a different level on and off the court. The Nancy Lieberman Women of Inspiration Awards will reflect all the amazing women who have worked so hard to change the landscape of our city and country,” Lieberman said. “It's an absolute honor to share this award in my name with so many great women.”
Comments