Height: 6-5 Weight: 170
Position: Center
Currently: Number 9 for the Los Angeles Sparks
WNBA
Lisa Leslie is the Sparks leading scorer, averaging over 16 points
per game. Leslie leads the WNBA in rebounds with 9.4 average.
"This is a great opportunity. I like that I can help to change
people's perspectives about what women can and can't do. And when
my playing days are over, I hope people will remember me as the
most versatile center to ever play the game, man or woman."
Olympic Athlete
The US Women's Basketball Olympic team took the Gold Medal in
1996. Over 30 thousand fans attended the sold out Olympic Women's
Basketball games. Leslie scored a total of 156 points as a starter
in all 8 games, averaging 19.5 points per game, made 28 of 44
free throws, rebounded 58 times with an average rebounding record
of 7.3 per game. Leslie assisted her teammates 19 times and stole
the ball 9 times from the opponents. The highlight (so far) of
Leslie's basketball career was defeating the Brazilian Olympic
team to earn the Gold Medal. Leslie states, "We accomplished
what we set out to do. We tried to get women's basketball to the
next level. Our game speaks for itself, but now our names are
in the public eye and that's the thing that took the NBA from
one level to the next."
US National Team
Leslie played on the undefeated US National Team in 1996. The
team played 52 games in preparation for the 1996 Olympics. She
says, "I think the National Team is a opportunity for girls
to get their VCR tapes out and record it and rewind it and watch
it, and have that opportunity to fantasize about being like us."
Collegiate Career
Leslie attended USC from 1990-1994. She played in 120 games, averaged
20.1 points per game with a field goal percentage of 0.534 and
a free throw percentage of 0.698. The USC Trojans played in the
NCAA Tournament every year of Leslie's collegiate career. Leslie's
career scoring record of 2414 still stands as a PAC-10 record,
as does her 1214 rebounds and 321 blocked shots. Leslie's owns
the USC record of most blocked shots of 95 per season and 321
per career. Leslie was 1994 National Player of the Year. She was
named All-PAC-10 all four years and was the only PAC-10 player
to be named to the all-conference first team honors four times.
In 1993 and 1994, Leslie led USC in scoring and rebounding, and
lead the PAC-10 in blocked shots.
Cross Training
Leslie lifts weights, plays pick up basketball games and has practiced
with Magic Johnson's traveling squad.
Off Court
Leslie is a runway model off court and is designing several lines
of women's athletic apparel.
Other Links
©Copyright 1997 by Jan Meyer.
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