Lisa Leslie was the first woman in WNBA history to dunk in a game, but she's so much more than that dunk. ", "Once I fell in love with the game of basketball at the age of 12, it wasn't until I saw the Showtime Lakers ... it's so amazing when you're a kid and you get to watch the NBA, and now girls get to watch the WNBA, but watching Big Game James and being a girl in LA, even Magic will tell you Big Game James is the real deal," she added. What Movie Should You Watch on Netflix? U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Hall of Fame (2019). Leslie was the second leading scorer on the USA squad, averaging 13.0 points per game, and helped the Tara VanDerveer-coached team to an 8–0 record and the gold medal. As if dominating the league wasn't enough, Leslie added four Olympic Gold Medals to her resume with Team USA in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. In the USA World Cup record books, owns the record for most field goals attempted (20 vs. Russia in 2002), is tied for first for highest field goal percentage (1.000, 6-6 FGs vs. Japan in 1998). In recognition of her selfless act to defer her athletic career to pursue criminal justice reform, two-time Olympic and two-time FIBA World Cup gold medalist Maya Moore has been named as the recipient of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s 2020 Jack Kelly Fair Play Award. Though Leslie has retired from the game, she continues to make history by becoming an investor to the Sparks in 2011, taking on another first—the first former player to invest in the WNBA. All rights reserved. She was 17 at the time, the youngest player on the USA team… The USA team finished in seventh place. She's won a WNBA title, three Olympic gold medals and is the first woman to slam-dunk a basketball in a professional game. In the 2005 WNBA All-Star Game, Leslie had also become the first WNBA player to dunk in an all-star game. She made an immediate impact on the basketball program, starting every game for the girl's varsity team. By the time she was a sophomore in high school, she was able to dunk the ball in the open court, even though she was not able to palm the ball. At the age of 14, before Leslie had even started high school at Morningside, she received more than a hundred college recruiting letters, including some from top Division I programs at the University of Tennessee and Stanford University. Explore articles on your favourite topics and start new threads to spark conversation. Named as the 1991 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. In 2002 competed in her third World Cup and walked away with the MVP award. In 2015, she was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame... During the first few weeks of middle high, a classmate begged Leslie to help out the basketball team. Quiz! Among U.S. Olympic single-game leaders, ranks first in points (35 vs. Japan in 1996) and field goals made (16 vs. Japan in 1996). Video: Lisa Leslie does what no woman had done before. "I want to thank David Stern for just your forthright, your sight to think that a WNBA could survive here in our country," Leslie said on the matter. Where does the team, led by Arike Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally, go from here? For USA World Cup single competitions, ranks second and third for points scored (155 in 2002 and 154 in 1998), second and fifth for rebounds (79 in 1998 and 73 in 2002) and fifth for points averaged (17.2 in 2002) and rebounds averaged (8.8 in 1998). Prior to the start of the Worlds, aided the U.S. to a 12-1 record in its 13-game 1998 pre-World Cup tour. Leslie played in a total of 120 college games, averaging 20.1 points, hitting 53.4% of her shots, and knocking down 69.8% of her free throws. Posted double-digit scoring averages in every major international event she has competed. Leslie was also honored on the national platform by earning the national freshman of the year award in 1991. Leslie, who was the first WNBA player to dunk in a game, was also named to eight All-Star teams and 12 All-WNBA teams, including eight first-team … Leslie, a WNBA ambassador, is a two-time WNBA champion (2001, 2002) and eight-time All-Star. Hails from Inglewood, California, and played her prep career at Morningside High School. We can’t wait to meet you! What Board Game Should You Play Toni... Quiz! Kids chat, play games, post in forums and meet new friends just like you. Standing six feet tall in seventh grade, Leslie hated … Leslie won four-straight gold medals as a member of the 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Teams and also claimed gold medals at the 1998 and 2002 FIBA World Cups. In 2016, she was voted into the WNBA Top 20@20, in celebration of the league's 20th anniversary. Leslie, at age 20, was also the youngest player to participate at the USA Olympic Trials in 1992. She led the U.S. team in scoring during the 2004 Olympic Games. What New Summer Sport Should You Try? Closed out her third Olympic competition ranking as the USA's all-time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker after compiling 407 points, 185 rebounds and 25 blocked shots in three Olympic Games (1996, 2000 and 2004); also sits atop the list for a single competition for blocked shots with 14 in '04. She led her team to a state championship averaging 27 points and 15 rebounds per game. To view your full News Feed please Login using your Username and Password or Register with Kidzworld! Began her USA Basketball career in 1989, was called up to the USA National Team for the 1993 World Cup Qualifying Tournament and capped her 19-year USA career in 2008 with a fourth Olympic gold medal. Leslie became the first to dunk in the WNBA during a regulation game in 2002, paving the way for fellow dunkers Candace Parker and Brittney Griner. Finished as the leading scorer of the gold medal winning 1996 USA Olympic and the historic 1995-96 USA Basketball National teams that compiled a combined 60-0 record and were named the 1996 U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Basketball Team of the Year. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Day, we are sharing an excerpt of her essay plus snippets from other WNBA players who’ve spoken out about their mental health. Those aren't the only players she has paved the way for. Her success there contributed to her confidence in her playing abilities. She is a three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medal winner. She was the second female basketball player ever to earn that many gold medals, after Teresa Edwards. No. Leslie was so talented that she was invited to participate in the USA's Junior World Championship team. May the Fourth Be With You Star Wars... Quiz! Seattle Storm's USA Basketball Ties Run Deep. Four-time gold medalist Charles Barkley tallied a 37-2 record during a USA Basketball career that spanned 14 years. She helped the Sparks make the playoffs five consecutive times, but the team did not win a WNBA title until 2001. In 2015, she was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame... During the first few weeks of middle high, a classmate begged Leslie to help out the basketball team. and 11.7 rpg. Lisa Leslie was the first woman in WNBA history to dunk in a game, but she's so much more than that dunk. To the outside world, Lisa Leslie might be best known for being the first female to dunk. She's appeared in, Lisa says she gets her height and work ethic from her mother who is six feet three inches tall and used to be a. Dunked in WNBA game! Seimone Augustus has won seven gold medals with USA Basketball. and 7.0 rpg. But to the world of women's basketball, she means much, much more. History: As of 2018, 21 dunks have been scored by 7 different WNBA players. and 1.2 bpg. Kidzworld is a social community and Safe Kids Website where you can express your free-spirited self. She won three league MVPs, two championships, four Olympic gold medals and three All-Star Game MVPs during her iconic career. ; also played in Russia in 2006-07. The daughter of Christine Leslie-Espinoza has two sisters and four half-brothers. Lisa Leslie Throws Down WNBA’s First Dunk. in her Olympic career. Other WNBA dunks have been scored by Michelle Snow, Candace Parker (twice), Sylvia Fowles, Brittney Griner, Jonquel Jones and Liz Cambage. Leslie scored 35 points against Japan in the semifinals of the 1996 Olympics to set an American Olympic women's scoring record. Leslie played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was part of the U.S. women’s basketball team at the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 … ", She also thanked her family, teammates and coaches, Jesus Christ and her "big brother" Magic Johnson, who "let (her) play pickup with the fellas.". What Brian Agler’s exit means for the Wings in 2021. Leslie is one of the greatest players in WNBA history and was one of the stars who ushered in the league. The number-seven pick in the 1997 inaugural WNBA draft, she followed her career at the University of Southe… Earned All-America honors in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and was named to the All-Pacific-10 Conference first team all four years, becoming the first player in Pac-10 history to receive all-conference first team honors four times. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history. Leslie’s dunk is the exclamation point on her exceptional basketball career. In 2008, started all eight games and averaged 10.1 ppg. Leslie’s individual performance often was a difference maker between a U.S. win and loss. Prior to kicking off her string of four Olympic gold medals in 1996, she was a member of the historic 1995-96 USA Basketball Women’s National Team that tallied a 52-0 record and traveled more than 100,000 miles and to seven countries while preparing for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. and 2.4 bpg. 7 of them were scored in All-Star games, while the remaining 14 took place during the regular season or playoffs. and 1.2 bpg. Earning her first Olympic gold medal in 1996 at 24, she led the team in scoring (19.5 ppg.). Lisa Deshaun Leslie (born July 7, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player.
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