WHEN LINDSEY HARDING saw Stockton Kings assistant general manager Gabriel Harris approaching the practice court on Dec. 15, 2023, she figured he was the bearer of good news.

Harding, in her debut season as the first Black woman to be a head coach in the G League, had already learned to keep her cell phone ring on full blast so she could hear it above the din of sneaker squeaks and defensive rotation calls in case Harris was calling with word of a 10-day call-up to the NBA.

When Harris signaled for the 6-foot-10 Chance Comanche, Harding's mind immediately darted to the center's recent performance in the G League's Tip-Off Tournament -- 14.2 points on 62.8% shooting and 7.0 rebounds per game -- as Comanche's ticket to the top.

With Harris there to deliver the news, Harding's instinct was

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