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Lisa Leslie

Lisa Leslie is a retired American professional basketball player and a prominent figure in women's sports. Born on July 7, 1972, in Gardena, California, she faced early challenges, including her father's departure and her mother's demanding job as a long-haul trucker. Despite these obstacles, Leslie excelled in basketball from a young age, standing at 6 feet, 5 inches tall and earning recognition as the top female high school player in the nation by 1989. She played collegiate basketball at the University of Southern California (USC), where she garnered multiple All-American honors and helped her team achieve significant victories.

Leslie achieved international fame as a member of the U.S. Olympic basketball team, winning gold medals at the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 Games. As a professional player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), she made history as the first woman to dunk in a game and became the all-time leading scorer for the Los Angeles Sparks before retiring in 2009. Beyond her athletic achievements, Leslie is a successful sports commentator and entrepreneur. She has also been a positive role model for young women, promoting a vision of femininity in athletics and creating her own clothing line. In 2015, she was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, underscoring her significant impact on the sport.

Full Article

Basketball player and model Lisa Leslie won gold medals for women’s basketball in four Olympic Games. She became known as the first person to dunk in a Women's National Basketball Association game. When she retired from the Women’s National Basketball Association in 2009, she held the league record for career points.

Early Life

Lisa Deshaun Leslie was born the second of three daughters in Gardena, California, on July 7, 1972. Leslie’s father, Walter, a semiprofessional basketball player, left the family when she was four years old, and Leslie saw him only once more before he died when she was twelve years old. When Leslie’s mother, Christine, lost her postal job, she bought an eighteen-wheel tractor-trailer truck, which she learned to drive in order to support the family. Leslie and her sisters were raised by their aunt, Judy Carol, while their mother was on the road for weeks at a time as a long-haul trucker; during summer vacations, they traveled with their mother, sleeping in the back of the truck.

Leslie was already taller than her teachers in grade school, and she was constantly teased by her classmates about her height. Frequently asked if she played basketball, Leslie decided to begin playing in middle school. An older cousin, Craig Simpson, mentored Leslie, taught her basketball techniques, and took her to the gym to work out. In 1986, Leslie’s family moved to Inglewood, California, and Leslie began playing basketball as a freshman at Morningside High School, ranked as one of the top ten high schools in America for girls’ basketball. Although left-handed, Leslie taught herself to be ambidextrous, and by her sophomore year, she was dunking the basketball. In her senior year, Leslie scored 101 points in the first half of a game and would have scored more, but the opposing team forfeited the game. Leslie led the Morningside Lady Monarchs to 125 wins and only 9 losses, winning two state championships. In her senior year, she averaged 15 rebounds and 27.3 points per game. Ranked in 1989 by Sports Illustrated as the number-one female high school basketball player in America, Leslie achieved international fame for her performance in the Junior World Championship. She received the Dial Award for the best female scholar-athlete in the United States in 1989, and she was unanimously voted to receive the Naismith Award in 1990.

Life’s Work

Although recruited by dozens of colleges throughout the United States, in 1990, Leslie chose to attend the University of Southern California (USC) so that she could remain close to her family. At 6 feet, 5 inches, Leslie was the top freshman scorer and rebounder for USC, and she earned awards for the Rookie of the Year and the National Freshman of the Year in 1991. For three consecutive years, 1992, 1993, and 1994, Leslie was honored as an All-American, and every year she played for USC, the school competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournaments. USC won a Pacific 10 championship and a total of 89 games during Leslie’s career, and she averaged 12.3 rebounds and 21.9 points per game in her senior year. In 1994, Leslie was named the national college player of the year, and she graduated from USC with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting.

After college, Leslie played professional basketball internationally because the United States did not have a professional women’s basketball league. During the 1994–95 season, she played for the Sicilgesso team, based in Alcamo, Italy. In 1995, she qualified for the US Olympic team, and at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Georgia, Leslie was the team’s high scorer, leading the United States to a gold medal. Leslie returned to play with the US Olympic women’s basketball team in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, each time leading the US team to a gold medal.

After the 1996 Olympics, Leslie was chosen to play for the newly formed Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the United States and joined the Los Angeles Sparks. In 1998 and 2002, Leslie was named the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, and in 2001 and 2002, Leslie led the Sparks to consecutive national championships. Named the most valuable player of 2001, 2002, and 2006, Leslie made basketball history in 2002 by being the first woman to slam dunk in a professional basketball game. By her retirement in 2009, Leslie had scored 6,263 points for the Sparks, a league record.

In 2004, Leslie began working as an on-air sports commentator for ESPN, NBC, and other networks. She joined the Sparks ownership group in 2011, making her the first former WNBA player to invest in a WNBA team. In 2012, she launched the Lisa Leslie Basketball and Leadership Academy, a year-round basketball academy for children ages seven to eighteen, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2018, she became a studio analyst for the Orlando Magic basketball team on the FOX Sports network. In this role, she shared commentary on pregame and postgame shows for the Magic. That same year, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association debuted the annual Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award.

In 2017, Ice Cube, Jeff Kwatinetz, and Clyde Drexler cofounded the Big3, a professional men's three-on-three basketball league comprised of former NBA players. Leslie joined the BIG3's Triplets team as head coach in 2019 and won the league's coach of the year award. In the 2020s, she became involved in the real estate industry and started her own sports-real estate firm.

After retiring in 2009, Lisa Leslie remained highly active in basketball and beyond through coaching, broadcasting, mentorship, business ventures, and family life. In 2022, she was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame, honoring her international dominance, four Olympic gold medals (1996–2008), and two FIBA World Cup titles.

In 2026, her historic 1995–96 United States women's national basketball team—which went a perfect 52–0 in pre-Olympic exhibitions before winning gold in the 1996 Summer Olympics—was formally inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a unit, recognizing the squad’s (and Leslie’s) pivotal role in paving the way for the Women's National Basketball Association. That same year, she was named an analyst for CBS Sports’ WNBA Tipoff Show as part of the network’s new media rights deal, joining fellow champion Renee Montgomery with Jenny Dell as host. She maintained a strong media presence through her podcast Between the Lines, appearances on NBA.com’s The Association, and 2026 WNBA Draft coverage, while continuing to actively mentor the next generation of players.

Personal Life

Leslie married former Air Force basketball player Michael Lockwood in 2005, with whom she had two children, Lauren (b. 2007) and Michael Jr. (b. 2010).

Significance

Extremely conscious of the image she portrayed to the youngsters, especially young women, who admired her, Leslie signed a contract in 1996 with Wilhelmina Models. She became a fashion model for some of the world’s most famous designers, appearing on the cover of Vogue and other fashion magazines. Leslie developed Lisa Leslie Enterprises, which includes her own line of clothing. She believed it was important to serve as a feminine role model for young girls aspiring to become athletes to destroy the stereotype that in order to succeed in basketball, women must become masculine.


Bibliography

Byers, Justin, et al. “WNBA Legend Lisa Leslie Launches Athlete-Focused Real Estate Firm.” Front Office Sports, 6 Apr. 2022, frontofficesports.com/lisa-leslie-launches-real-estate-firm/. Accessed 14 May 2026.

"Former Sparks Star Lisa Leslie to Coach Team in BIG3 League." ESPN, 11 Jan. 2019, www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/25731795/lisa-leslie-coach-big3-team. Accessed 14 May 2026.

Grundy, Pamela, and Susan Shackelford. Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball. New Press, 2005.

Leslie, Lisa, and Larry Burnett. Don’t Let the Lipstick Fool You. Kensington, 2008.

"Lisa Leslie Joins FOX Sports Florida as Analyst for Orlando Magic." WNBA, 10 Jan. 2018, www.wnba.com/news/lisa-leslie-joins-fox-sports-florida-analyst-orlando-magic/. Accessed 14 May 2026.

“Lisa Leslie Joins The Association.” NBA.com, 8 Apr. 2026, www.nba.com/watch/video/lisa-leslie-joins-the-association. Accessed 14 May 2026.

“Lisa Leslie Named as Analyst for CBS Sports’ WNBA Tipoff Show in New Deal.” Yahoo Sports, 26 Mar. 2026, sports.yahoo.com/articles/lisa-leslie-named-analyst-cbs-223607239.html?guccounter=1. Accessed 14 May 2026.

“Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Features 1996 U.S. Women’s Team, Other Legends.” USA Basketball, 4 Apr. 2026, www.usab.com/news/2026/04/naismith-hall-of-fame-class-of-2026-features-1996-us-womens-team-other-legends. Accessed 14 May 2026.

Savage, Jeff. Lisa Leslie: Slam Dunk Queen. Enslow, 2005.

“2022 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: Lisa Leslie.” FIBA Basketball, 2022, https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/2022-class-of-fiba-hall-of-fame-lisa-leslie. Accessed 14 May 2026.

Full Article

Basketball player and model Lisa Leslie won gold medals for women’s basketball in four Olympic Games. She became known as the first person to dunk in a Women's National Basketball Association game. When she retired from the Women’s National Basketball Association in 2009, she held the league record for career points.

Early Life

Lisa Deshaun Leslie was born the second of three daughters in Gardena, California, on July 7, 1972. Leslie’s father, Walter, a semiprofessional basketball player, left the family when she was four years old, and Leslie saw him only once more before he died when she was twelve years old. When Leslie’s mother, Christine, lost her postal job, she bought an eighteen-wheel tractor-trailer truck, which she learned to drive in order to support the family. Leslie and her sisters were raised by their aunt, Judy Carol, while their mother was on the road for weeks at a time as a long-haul trucker; during summer vacations, they traveled with their mother, sleeping in the back of the truck.

Leslie was already taller than her teachers in grade school, and she was constantly teased by her classmates about her height. Frequently asked if she played basketball, Leslie decided to begin playing in middle school. An older cousin, Craig Simpson, mentored Leslie, taught her basketball techniques, and took her to the gym to work out. In 1986, Leslie’s family moved to Inglewood, California, and Leslie began playing basketball as a freshman at Morningside High School, ranked as one of the top ten high schools in America for girls’ basketball. Although left-handed, Leslie taught herself to be ambidextrous, and by her sophomore year, she was dunking the basketball. In her senior year, Leslie scored 101 points in the first half of a game and would have scored more, but the opposing team forfeited the game. Leslie led the Morningside Lady Monarchs to 125 wins and only 9 losses, winning two state championships. In her senior year, she averaged 15 rebounds and 27.3 points per game. Ranked in 1989 by Sports Illustrated as the number-one female high school basketball player in America, Leslie achieved international fame for her performance in the Junior World Championship. She received the Dial Award for the best female scholar-athlete in the United States in 1989, and she was unanimously voted to receive the Naismith Award in 1990.

Life’s Work

Although recruited by dozens of colleges throughout the United States, in 1990, Leslie chose to attend the University of Southern California (USC) so that she could remain close to her family. At 6 feet, 5 inches, Leslie was the top freshman scorer and rebounder for USC, and she earned awards for the Rookie of the Year and the National Freshman of the Year in 1991. For three consecutive years, 1992, 1993, and 1994, Leslie was honored as an All-American, and every year she played for USC, the school competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournaments. USC won a Pacific 10 championship and a total of 89 games during Leslie’s career, and she averaged 12.3 rebounds and 21.9 points per game in her senior year. In 1994, Leslie was named the national college player of the year, and she graduated from USC with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting.

After college, Leslie played professional basketball internationally because the United States did not have a professional women’s basketball league. During the 1994–95 season, she played for the Sicilgesso team, based in Alcamo, Italy. In 1995, she qualified for the US Olympic team, and at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Georgia, Leslie was the team’s high scorer, leading the United States to a gold medal. Leslie returned to play with the US Olympic women’s basketball team in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, each time leading the US team to a gold medal.

After the 1996 Olympics, Leslie was chosen to play for the newly formed Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the United States and joined the Los Angeles Sparks. In 1998 and 2002, Leslie was named the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, and in 2001 and 2002, Leslie led the Sparks to consecutive national championships. Named the most valuable player of 2001, 2002, and 2006, Leslie made basketball history in 2002 by being the first woman to slam dunk in a professional basketball game. By her retirement in 2009, Leslie had scored 6,263 points for the Sparks, a league record.

In 2004, Leslie began working as an on-air sports commentator for ESPN, NBC, and other networks. She joined the Sparks ownership group in 2011, making her the first former WNBA player to invest in a WNBA team. In 2012, she launched the Lisa Leslie Basketball and Leadership Academy, a year-round basketball academy for children ages seven to eighteen, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2018, she became a studio analyst for the Orlando Magic basketball team on the FOX Sports network. In this role, she shared commentary on pregame and postgame shows for the Magic. That same year, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association debuted the annual Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award.

In 2017, Ice Cube, Jeff Kwatinetz, and Clyde Drexler cofounded the Big3, a professional men's three-on-three basketball league comprised of former NBA players. Leslie joined the BIG3's Triplets team as head coach in 2019 and won the league's coach of the year award. In the 2020s, she became involved in the real estate industry and started her own sports-real estate firm.

After retiring in 2009, Lisa Leslie remained highly active in basketball and beyond through coaching, broadcasting, mentorship, business ventures, and family life. In 2022, she was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame, honoring her international dominance, four Olympic gold medals (1996–2008), and two FIBA World Cup titles.

In 2026, her historic 1995–96 United States women's national basketball team—which went a perfect 52–0 in pre-Olympic exhibitions before winning gold in the 1996 Summer Olympics—was formally inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a unit, recognizing the squad’s (and Leslie’s) pivotal role in paving the way for the Women's National Basketball Association. That same year, she was named an analyst for CBS Sports’ WNBA Tipoff Show as part of the network’s new media rights deal, joining fellow champion Renee Montgomery with Jenny Dell as host. She maintained a strong media presence through her podcast Between the Lines, appearances on NBA.com’s The Association, and 2026 WNBA Draft coverage, while continuing to actively mentor the next generation of players.

Personal Life

Leslie married former Air Force basketball player Michael Lockwood in 2005, with whom she had two children, Lauren (b. 2007) and Michael Jr. (b. 2010).

Significance

Extremely conscious of the image she portrayed to the youngsters, especially young women, who admired her, Leslie signed a contract in 1996 with Wilhelmina Models. She became a fashion model for some of the world’s most famous designers, appearing on the cover of Vogue and other fashion magazines. Leslie developed Lisa Leslie Enterprises, which includes her own line of clothing. She believed it was important to serve as a feminine role model for young girls aspiring to become athletes to destroy the stereotype that in order to succeed in basketball, women must become masculine.


Bibliography

Byers, Justin, et al. “WNBA Legend Lisa Leslie Launches Athlete-Focused Real Estate Firm.” Front Office Sports, 6 Apr. 2022, frontofficesports.com/lisa-leslie-launches-real-estate-firm/. Accessed 14 May 2026.

"Former Sparks Star Lisa Leslie to Coach Team in BIG3 League." ESPN, 11 Jan. 2019, www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/25731795/lisa-leslie-coach-big3-team. Accessed 14 May 2026.

Grundy, Pamela, and Susan Shackelford. Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball. New Press, 2005.

Leslie, Lisa, and Larry Burnett. Don’t Let the Lipstick Fool You. Kensington, 2008.

"Lisa Leslie Joins FOX Sports Florida as Analyst for Orlando Magic." WNBA, 10 Jan. 2018, www.wnba.com/news/lisa-leslie-joins-fox-sports-florida-analyst-orlando-magic/. Accessed 14 May 2026.

“Lisa Leslie Joins The Association.” NBA.com, 8 Apr. 2026, www.nba.com/watch/video/lisa-leslie-joins-the-association. Accessed 14 May 2026.

“Lisa Leslie Named as Analyst for CBS Sports’ WNBA Tipoff Show in New Deal.” Yahoo Sports, 26 Mar. 2026, sports.yahoo.com/articles/lisa-leslie-named-analyst-cbs-223607239.html?guccounter=1. Accessed 14 May 2026.

“Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Features 1996 U.S. Women’s Team, Other Legends.” USA Basketball, 4 Apr. 2026, www.usab.com/news/2026/04/naismith-hall-of-fame-class-of-2026-features-1996-us-womens-team-other-legends. Accessed 14 May 2026.

Savage, Jeff. Lisa Leslie: Slam Dunk Queen. Enslow, 2005.

“2022 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: Lisa Leslie.” FIBA Basketball, 2022, https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/2022-class-of-fiba-hall-of-fame-lisa-leslie. Accessed 14 May 2026.

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