History of Lisa Leslie in Timeline
Lisa Leslie is a celebrated former professional basketball player, notable for her achievements in the WNBA. She made history as the first player to dunk in a WNBA game in 2002. After retiring from playing, Leslie transitioned into coaching, leading the Triplets in the BIG3 league. She has also served as a studio analyst for Orlando Magic broadcasts. Leslie is considered one of the WNBA's all-time greats, evidenced by her ranking on ESPN.com's list of the WNBA's greatest players.
July 7, 1972: Lisa Leslie's Birth
On July 7, 1972, Lisa Deshaun Leslie was born. She is an American former professional basketball player.
1986: Enrollment at Morningside High School
In 1986, Lisa Leslie continued her education by enrolling at Morningside High School in Inglewood, California, making an immediate impact on the basketball program and joining the volleyball team and track and field.
1987: Previous Jones Cup Win
The 1992 Jones Cup win was the first since 1987.
July 1989: Junior World Championship
In July 1989, Lisa Leslie, at 17, participated in the second Junior World Championship in Bilbao, Spain, as the youngest player on the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team, averaging 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
1989: California State Championship
In 1989, Lisa Leslie, as a sophomore, led her high school team to the California state championship.
1990: Attends USC
In 1990, Lisa Leslie began attending the University of Southern California.
1990: High School Scoring 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, leading her team to a state championship.
1991: All-Pac-10 Recognition and National Freshman of the Year
In 1991, Lisa Leslie was honored with All-Pac-10 recognition and became the first player in Pac-10 history to earn first team all four years and earn the Pac-10 Rookie of the Year award and was also honored as the national freshman of the year.
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 Awards
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 and Scoring Record
In 1996, Lisa Leslie won a gold medal with the United States national women's basketball team and scored 35 points against Japan in the Olympic semifinals, setting an American Olympic women's scoring record.
1996: Olympic Gold Medal
In 1996, Lisa Leslie won an Olympic gold medal playing for USA Basketball in international competition.
June 21, 1997: WNBA Debut and First Double-Double
On June 21, 1997, Lisa Leslie made her WNBA debut in a game against the New York Liberty, recording 16 points and 14 rebounds, achieving the first double-double in WNBA history.
1997: Joins Los Angeles Sparks
In 1997, Lisa Leslie began playing in the WNBA for 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: Olympic Gold Medal
In 2000, Lisa Leslie won an Olympic gold medal playing for USA Basketball in international competition.
2000: Rivalry with Lauren Jackson
In 2000, at the Olympics, Lisa Leslie's rivalry with Lauren Jackson began when the Australian star ripped out Leslie's hair extensions during a game.
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 and that year, she helped the Sparks win a WNBA title.
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
In 2002, Lisa Leslie made history as the first player to dunk during a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) game.
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 faced a sexual assault case, which was later referenced in a 2020 interview with Lisa Leslie about her friendship with Bryant.
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 an 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.
2005: First WNBA All-Star Game 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: Return to WNBA
In 2008, Lisa Leslie returned to the WNBA for the season.
2008: Olympic Gold Medal
In 2008, Lisa Leslie won an 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: Retirement from WNBA
In 2009, Lisa Leslie retired from the WNBA after 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks.
2009: Final WNBA Game
In 2009, Lisa Leslie's final WNBA game was Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, where the Sparks lost to the Phoenix Mercury despite Leslie's 22 points and 9 rebounds.
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 by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history.
2013: Celebrity Wife Swap Appearance
In 2013, Lisa Leslie switched places with Downtown Julie Brown on the show Celebrity Wife Swap.
2015: Hall of Fame Inductions
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 The New Celebrity Apprentice
On January 28, 2016, Lisa Leslie was announced as a contestant on The New Celebrity Apprentice.
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 Betty Lou in the movie "Uncle Drew".
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: 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 founded by Ice Cube.
2019: BIG3 Championship
In 2019, after becoming coach of the Triplets, Lisa Leslie led the team to the BIG3 Championship.
February 4, 2020: Leslie Interviewed About Kobe Bryant
On February 4, 2020, Lisa Leslie was interviewed by Gayle King regarding her friendship with Kobe Bryant. The interview included questions about the sexual assault case against Bryant in 2003, and Leslie stated that the accusations did not align with her perception of him.
July 15, 2021: Leslie becomes honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha
On July 15, 2021, Lisa Leslie was initiated as an honorary member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
2021: Ranked Among WNBA's Greatest
In 2021, Lisa Leslie was ranked 5th on ESPN.com's list of the WNBA's greatest players of all time.
2023: USC Record Surpassed
In 2023, Rayah Marshall surpassed Lisa Leslie's USC single season record for blocked shots (95) by achieving 98.
Mentioned in this timeline
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