Lisa Leslie Biography: Lisa Deshaun Leslie born July 7, 1972 is a retired American professional basketball player. She previously served as the head coach for the Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league and works as a studio analyst for Orlando Magic broadcasts on FanDuel Sports Network Florida. In 2002, Leslie made history by becoming the first player to dunk in a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) game.
Lisa Leslie Biography
Lisa Leslie is a former professional basketball player from the United States. She currently serves as the head coach for the Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league and works as a studio analyst for Orlando Magic broadcasts on Fox Sports Florida. Leslie had a distinguished career in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is a three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medalist. Selected seventh overall in the inaugural 1997 WNBA draft, she played for eleven seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks following her college career at the University of Southern California. During her time in the league, Leslie was an eight-time WNBA All-Star and won two WNBA championships before retiring in 2009. She also made history as the first player to dunk in a WNBA game.
Lisa Leslie Biography 2025 Details
| Born | July 7, 1972 Compton, California, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| High school | Morningside (Inglewood, California) |
| College | USC (1990–1994) |
| WNBA draft | 1997: Allocated |
| Drafted by | Los Angeles Sparks |
| Playing career | 1997–2009 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 9 |
| Category | Football Biographies |
Lisa Leslie Achievements
ESPN.com ranked her 5th on their 2021 list of the greatest WNBA players of all time. Leslie played her entire WNBA career with the Los Angeles Sparks from 1997 to 2009. She is a three-time WNBA MVP and has won four Olympic gold medals. Selected as the seventh pick in the 1997 inaugural WNBA draft, Leslie went on to earn eight WNBA All-Star selections and won two WNBA championships during her 11 seasons with the Sparks before retiring in 2009.
See More:
About Lisa Leslie
Lisa Deshaun Leslie is an American former professional basketball player. She is formerly the head coach for Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, as well as a studio analyst for Orlando Magic broadcasts on FanDuel Sports Network Florida
Lisa Leslie Wiki
- Born: 7 July 1972 (age 52 years), Compton, California, United States
- Height: 1.96 m
- Teammates: Candace Parker, Sheryl Swoopes, Diana Taurasi ·
- Spouse: Michael Lockwood (m. 2005)
- Children: Lauren Jolie Lockwood
- Education: University of Phoenix (2009), University of Southern California (1990–1994), Morningside High School
- Position: Center
Early Life
Leslie was born in Compton, California, to Christine Lauren Leslie, who stood 6 feet 3 inches tall, and Walter Leslie, a former professional basketball player. Christine started her own truck driving business to support her three children after Walter left the family when Christine was four months pregnant with Lisa. Leslie has two sisters—Dionne, five years older, and Tiffany, eight years younger—as well as a brother named Elgin, after Elgin Baylor of the Los Angeles Lakers. She played on an all-girls basketball team that achieved a record of 33–1.
In middle school, Leslie was asked by a classmate to help out the basketball team. During tryouts, players split into left-handed and right-handed groups for layup drills. Being the only lefty, Leslie chose to become right-hand dominant so she wouldn’t have to practice alone, which helped her become ambidextrous. When she transferred to a junior high school without a girls’ basketball team in eighth grade, she joined the boys’ team, which boosted her confidence in her skills.
Lisa Leslie at a Glance
- Category: Richest Athletes › NBA Players
- Net Worth: $7 Million
- Salary: $91 Thousand
- Birthdate: July 7, 1972 (52 years old)
- Birthplace: Gardena, California
- Gender: Female
- Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.956 m)
- Profession: Basketball player, Actor
- Nationality: United States
Career Highlights and Achievements
Leslie made history by being named the All-Star Game MVP, regular season MVP, and playoff MVP—all in the same season, becoming the first player in the WNBA to accomplish this. The following year, she earned the WNBA Championship MVP title and was the league’s all-time leading scorer at the time. Known as the first player to dunk in a WNBA game, Leslie played for the Los Angeles Sparks from 1997 to 2009.
She won four Olympic gold medals with the U.S. team in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008. In 2015, she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and published her autobiography Don’t Let the Lipstick Fool You: The Making of a Champion in 2008. Leslie also has experience in modeling and acting, appearing in films such as Think Like a Man (2012), Uncle Drew (2018), and What Men Want (2019), as well as TV series including Arli$$ (1997) and Speechless (2018). After retiring from professional play, Leslie worked as a sports analyst for networks like ABC, NBC, and Fox Sports Net.
Salary and Career Earnings
Leslie’s professional salary reflected the WNBA’s relatively modest pay scale during her career. Before the WNBA’s launch, she played in Italy during the 1994–95 season. Once the league started in 1997, Leslie became one of its star players and earned the maximum salary allowed, which was about $85,000 per season in 2003. At her peak, her salary topped out at around $91,000 annually. While this was low compared to NBA salaries, Leslie supplemented her income with overseas play, coaching, and ownership roles.
Endorsements
Off the court, Leslie’s fame helped her secure major endorsement deals, making her one of the WNBA’s first true marketing stars. She was a Nike spokeswoman and even had her own Nike Air Total 9 signature shoe launched in 1998. She also worked with brands such as Sony PlayStation 2, ESPN, Kraft Foods, and Gatorade. By 2003, Leslie’s endorsements reportedly earned her seven-figure income. She also partnered with American Express, Pepsi, and Bud Light, increasing her earnings and raising the profile of women’s basketball.
College Career
Lisa attended the University of Southern California, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1994. She played 120 basketball games, averaging 20.1 points per game, and set records for scoring, blocked shots, and rebounds. USC’s team won a Pac-10 championship and made four NCAA tournament appearances during her tenure. Leslie earned multiple player of the year honors and was a three-time All-American.
WNBA Career
Drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks in 1997, Leslie helped lead the team to five consecutive playoff appearances and two WNBA championships in 2001 and 2002. She became the league’s first player to surpass 3,000 career points in 2002 and later the first to exceed 6,000 points. By the time she retired in 2009, Leslie held records for points, rebounds, and overall career stats. She was voted one of the top 15 WNBA players in 2011 and one of the top 20 in 2016.
National Team Career
At 17, Leslie joined the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team and went on to win four Olympic gold medals (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008) and two FIBA World Championships (1998, 2002). She became the all-time leading Olympic scorer for the U.S. women’s basketball team in 2004.
Personal Life
Lisa married Michael Lockwood, a UPS pilot and former Air Force basketball player, on November 5, 2005. They have two children: daughter Lauren Jolie Lockwood (born 2007) and son Michael Joseph Lockwood II (born 2010). Leslie is a Christian and credits her faith as a guiding force throughout her life and career.
Awards and Honors
Lisa Leslie has received numerous accolades, including the Honda Sports Award, USBWA Women’s National Player of the Year, WBCA Player of the Year, and Naismith College Player of the Year in 1994. She won Best WNBA Player at the 2007 ESPY Awards and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Real Estate
Leslie purchased a 4,600-square-foot home in Calabasas, California, for $1.7 million, which she sold in 2016 for $1.854 million. She also bought a home in Delray Beach, Florida, in 2016 for $1.7 million, which is now valued between $3 and $4 million.
What is Lisa Leslie’s net worth 2025?
Lisa Leslie, a former professional women’s basketball player in the WNBA, has an estimated net worth of $7 million. During her WNBA career, her salary was approximately $91,000 per year.
FAQs
What teams has Lisa Leslie coached?
Lisa Leslie is the head coach for the Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league.
What broadcasting work does Lisa Leslie do?
She works as a studio analyst for Orlando Magic broadcasts on Fox Sports Florida.
How many WNBA championships did Lisa Leslie win?
Lisa Leslie won two WNBA championships during her career with the Los Angeles Sparks.
When was Lisa Leslie drafted into the WNBA?
She was the number-seven pick in the inaugural 1997 WNBA draft.
What historic achievement did Lisa Leslie accomplish in the WNBA?
Lisa Leslie was the first player to dunk in a WNBA game.
Which halls of fame has Lisa Leslie been inducted into?
In 2015, Lisa Leslie was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.