NORFOLK — Nancy Lieberman remembers a recruiting visit she had to Old Dominion in 1976.
One of the places she was taken to was the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament — a showcase for men’s basketball players in hopes of playing professionally.
The PIT is still going strong after more than 70 years, and on Monday Lieberman — an Old Dominion legend and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — was a virtual guest who helped announce the creation of a similar showcase for women’s basketball.
The Women’s Professional Basketball Invitational Tournament will choose senior players from the ACC schools including Virginia, North Carolina and Duke, along with the University of Maryland. Invitations also will go out to players in the Atlantic 10 Conference, Sun Belt, CAA, MEAC and CIAA.
Forty-eight players will be placed on six teams in a three-day WPBIT from April 7-10 at Chartway Arena. WNBA and international scouts are expected to attend, and the tournament’s coaches will be selected by the WNBA Retired Players Association.
“We need this women’s professional invitational tournament,” Lieberman told those in attendance at Chartway Arena on Monday. “We need this because they have to be able to showcase (their talent). We’re going to have every franchise here. We’re going to have European scouts here. They’re going to be here checking out the skill level.
“So, I’m really excited about the opportunity that we’re going to have,” she added, “that we’re on the forefront of history, of making history.”
Former Norview High star Charlie Hatcher and Wali Jones, the co-host of “Sports Inside and Out, Legend of Sports Show,” have had a dream of starting an event like this for nearly 15 years. Both were on hand on Monday, Hatcher in person, and Jones virtually.
“Now it’s time for the women to be appreciated coming out of college and being able to have an opportunity that the guys have had for so many years,” said Hatcher, a second-team All-American in 1965. “So many combines, so many all-star games, but nothing compared to what we are trying to do right now.”
Lieberman, who helped lead Old Dominion to back-to-back national championships in 1979 and 1980, is excited about this opportunity.
“It’s very important to me that this is being held at Old Dominion University,” said Lieberman, a three-time Kodak All-American. “It’s the right place at the right time for women’s basketball to have an invitational tournament.”
Others on the Zoom call included former NBA player Major Jones, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Susan Summons, and Rick Darnell, president of the Los Angeles Chapter of National Retired Players Association.
“It’s great to be a part of something that’s a first,” said Jones, who was drafted by Portland in 1976 and had three brothers — Wil, Caldwell and Charles — who also played in the NBA. “I think the one thing that we need to remember and never forget is you never get a second chance to be first.”
It’s no secret that women’s basketball is growing.
The WNBA is undergoing rapid expansion, with the Portland Fire beginning this season, and new franchises approved for Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030).
The 2025 WNBA Finals averaged 1.5 million viewers over four games.
And the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game averaged 9.9 million viewers, peaking at 10.7 million, making it the second most-watched women’s final on record. And the 2026 Final Four games averaged 5.2 million viewers.
Then there’s the recent collective bargaining agreement in the WNBA that includes a revenue-sharing model — a first in women’s sports. This agreement also will increase player’s salaries.
The future of women’s basketball looks bright and Hatcher said Hampton Roads has a chance to be a part of it.
“We’re trying to start something that’s going to be respectable, that came from here. We have a chance to really do something,” he said. “You can always look back and say, ‘Where did this start?’ It started right here.”