History of Lisa Leslie in Timeline

Lisa Leslie is a celebrated former professional basketball player, known for her groundbreaking dunk in a 2002 WNBA game. She also served as the head coach for Triplets in the BIG3 league and as a studio analyst for the Orlando Magic. In 2021, she was recognized as one of the WNBA's greatest players of all time, ranking fifth on ESPN.com's list, cementing her legacy in the sport.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

July 7, 1972: Lisa Leslie Born

On July 7, 1972, Lisa Deshaun Leslie, an American former professional basketball player, was born.

Others born on this day/year

1986: Enrollment at Morningside High School

In 1986, Lisa Leslie enrolled at Morningside High School in Inglewood, California, and immediately impacted the basketball program.

1987: Last Jones Cup Gold Medal before 1992

The Jones cup in 1992 was the first time the team won the Gold since 1987.

July 1989: Junior World Championship

In July 1989, Lisa Leslie participated in the second Junior World Championship held in Bilbao, Spain as a member of the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team.

1989: California State Championship

In 1989, as the team's leading scorer and rebounder, Lisa Leslie led her high school team to the California state championship.

1990: Attendance at USC

In 1990, Lisa Leslie began attending the University of Southern California.

1990: Ties National Record

In 1990, Lisa Leslie tied the national record for points scored by a high school basketball player with Cheryl Miller, scoring 101 points in the first half of a game.

1991: World University Games

In 1991, Lisa Leslie was a member of the USA team competing at the World University Games held in Sheffield, England, helping the team win a gold medal.

1991: Awards and Recognition

In 1991, Lisa Leslie was the first player in Pac-10 history to obtain first team all four years and earn the Pac-10 Rookie of the Year award. Leslie also earned the national freshman of the year award.

1992: Jones Cup Gold Medal

In 1992, Lisa Leslie competed with USA Basketball as a member of the Jones Cup Team that won the Gold in Taipei.

1992: All-American Honors

In 1992, Lisa Leslie earned All-American Honors.

1992: Youngest Player at Olympic Trials

In 1992, at age 20, Lisa Leslie was the youngest player to participate at the USA Olympic Trials.

1993: All-American Honors

In 1993, Lisa Leslie earned All-American Honors.

1994: Graduation from USC

In 1994, Lisa Leslie graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in communications.

1994: National Player of the Year

In 1994, Lisa Leslie won multiple national player of the year awards, including the Naismith College Player of the Year award, the USBWA Women's National Player of the Year award, the Honda Sports Award for basketball, and the WBCA Player of the Year award.

1996: Olympic Gold Medal

In 1996, Lisa Leslie won an Olympic gold medal playing for USA Basketball in international competition.

1996: Olympic Gold Medal and Scoring Record

In 1996, Lisa Leslie won an Olympic gold medal with the United States national women's basketball team and set an American Olympic women's scoring record with 35 points against Japan in the semifinals.

1996: WNBA Incorporation

In 1996, the WNBA was incorporated.

June 21, 1997: WNBA Debut

On June 21, 1997, Lisa Leslie made her WNBA debut in a game against the New York Liberty and recorded the first double-double in WNBA history.

1997: Joins the Los Angeles Sparks

In 1997, Lisa Leslie began her WNBA career with the Los Angeles Sparks, being the number-seven pick in the inaugural WNBA draft.

1998: FIBA World Championship

In 1998, Lisa Leslie won a FIBA World Championship playing for USA Basketball in international competition.

2000: Rivalry with Lauren Jackson

Ever since the 2000 Olympics, Lisa Leslie had a rivalry with Lauren Jackson. During a game at those Olympics, the Australian star ripped out Leslie's hair extensions.

2000: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2000, Lisa Leslie won another Olympic gold medal playing for USA Basketball in international competition.

2001: Sportswoman of the Year

In 2001, Lisa Leslie was named the 2001 Sportswoman of the Year (in the team category) by the Women's Sports Foundation.

July 30, 2002: First WNBA Dunk

On July 30, 2002, Lisa Leslie became the first woman to dunk the ball in a WNBA game.

2002: First WNBA Dunk and Other Milestones

In 2002, Lisa Leslie became the first player to dunk in a WNBA game. She also became the first WNBA player to score over 3,000 career points and contributed to the Sparks winning their second straight WNBA championship that season.

2002: FIBA World Championship

In 2002, Lisa Leslie won a FIBA World Championship playing for USA Basketball in international competition.

2003: Kobe Bryant's sexual assault case

In 2003, Kobe Bryant was involved in a sexual assault case, which was later referenced in a 2020 interview with Lisa Leslie. Lisa Leslie responded that those accusations did not align with the person she knew.

2004: Led U.S. Team in Scoring

During the 2004 Olympic Games, Lisa Leslie led the U.S. team in scoring.

2004: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2004, Lisa Leslie won another Olympic gold medal playing for USA Basketball in international competition.

November 5, 2005: Marriage to Michael Lockwood

On November 5, 2005, Lisa Leslie married Michael Lockwood, who played basketball for the United States Air Force Academy and is a pilot for UPS.

2005: First All-Star Dunk

In the 2005 WNBA All-Star Game, Lisa Leslie became the first WNBA player to dunk in an all-star game.

2007: Birth of Daughter

In 2007, Lisa Leslie took a year's leave from professional basketball for a pregnancy, and her daughter was born that same year.

2008: Returns to WNBA

In 2008, Lisa Leslie returned to the WNBA after taking a year's leave for pregnancy.

2008: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2008, Lisa Leslie won her fourth Olympic gold medal playing for USA Basketball in international competition.

February 4, 2009: Retirement Announcement

On February 4, 2009, Lisa Leslie announced her retirement effective at the end of the 2009 season.

August 11, 2009: 6,000 Career Points

On August 11, 2009, Lisa Leslie became the first player to score 6,000 points in a career.

2009: Final WNBA Game

In 2009, Lisa Leslie played her final WNBA game, which was Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Mercury.

2009: Retirement from WNBA

In 2009, Lisa Leslie retired from the WNBA after 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks.

2010: Birth of Son

In 2010, Lisa Leslie had a son, Michael ||.

2011: Co-owner of Los Angeles Sparks

In 2011, Lisa Leslie became a co-owner of the Los Angeles Sparks.

2011: Top 15 WNBA Players

In 2011, Lisa Leslie was voted as one of the Top 15 players in the fifteen-year history of the WNBA by fans.

2011: Named Top 15 in WNBA History

In 2011, Lisa Leslie was voted by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history.

2013: Appearance on Celebrity Wife Swap

In 2013, Lisa Leslie switched places with Downtown Julie Brown on the show Celebrity Wife Swap.

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2015: Inducted into Basketball Halls of Fame

In 2015, Lisa Leslie was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

January 28, 2016: Contestant on Celebrity Apprentice

On January 28, 2016, Lisa Leslie was announced as a contestant on The New Celebrity Apprentice.

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2016: WNBA Top 20@20

In 2016, Lisa Leslie was voted into the WNBA Top 20@20, in celebration of the league's 20th anniversary.

June 2018: Appearance in Uncle Drew

In June 2018, Lisa Leslie played the role of Betty Lou in the movie Uncle Drew.

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2018: Studio Analyst for Orlando Magic

In 2018, Lisa Leslie joined Fox Sports Florida as a studio analyst on Orlando Magic broadcasts.

January 10, 2019: Named Coach of the Triplets

On January 10, 2019, Lisa Leslie was named coach of the Triplets, an expansion team of the BIG3 three-on-three league.

2019: BIG3 Championship

In 2019, after becoming coach of the Triplets, Lisa Leslie led the team to the BIG3 Championship.

February 4, 2020: Interview with Gayle King

On February 4, 2020, Lisa Leslie was interviewed by Gayle King, during which she discussed her friendship with Kobe Bryant and responded to questions about Bryant's 2003 sexual assault case, stating that the accusations did not align with her perception of him.