“I am a proud example of someone who had a tough upbringing but uses sports as a vehicle to win in life.”
Marie Ferdinand-Harris, a former shooting guard, is the first Haitian American to play in the WNBA.
A Miami native, Ferdinand-Harris led Miami Edison High School to a state basketball championship as a sophomore, and was named Florida Prep Player of the Year in 1995. Ferdinand-Harris attended the Louisiana State University (LSU), where she became one of only four players in the women’s basketball program’s history to record at least 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 200 steals. She was inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
Marie Ferdinand-Harris was also a member of the 2000 USA Basketball Women’s Select team that won the gold medal at the Jones Cup in Taipei. Drafted 8th in the 2001 Draft by the Utah Starzz, Ferdinand-Harris retired in 2011 after being named a WNBA All-Star in 2002, 2003 & 2005.
Since her retirement from professional basketball, Ferdinand-Harris jumpstarted motivational circuits, developed an ultimate teammate course and has devoted her time to the Marie Ferdinand Foundation, which promotes girls’ education and uses the sport of basketball to help girls reach their full potential.
