WNBA Basketball Winners

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Lisa Leslie

Birthday July 7, 1972
Position: Center
School Southern Cal '94
Height 6'5"
Weight 170 lbs.
WNBA Team Los Angeles Sparks

In 2002 Leslie competed in her third World Championship (she was also a member of the 1994 USA Worlds squad that took home the bronze medal) and walked away with a well-earned World Championship MVP award.

Leading the U.S. squad in scoring and rebounding, Leslie, who was joined on the five-member All-World Championship squad by teammate Shannon Johnson. The 2002 USA team not only claimed gold, it was named the 2002 USA Basketball Team of the Year - currently the fourth such honor awarded a team with Leslie on the roster.

Starring at the University of Southern California, Leslie was unanimously voted the 1994 National Player of the Year. Leslie also 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. Additionally, Leslie was named as the 1991 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.

Leslie was signed by the WNBA and assigned to the Los Angeles Sparks in 1997. In her first seven years with the Sparks, Leslie helped the Sparks to a 151-69 overall record, including a 28-4 record in 2001, and a pair of WNBA titles.

En route to the ‘01 championship, Leslie averaged 22.3 ppg., 12.3 rpg., 4.4 bpg., and 3.0 apg. in the playoffs and recorded 35 points, 16 rebounds, seven blocked shots in the Sparks’ 93-62 victory over the Charlotte Sting in the final contest. Earning WNBA Most Valuable Player honors in 2001, Leslie capped the year with the 2001 WNBA Finals MVP award.

In 2004 she once again led the U.S. team in scoring, both during its exhibition schedule and at the '04 Athens Olympics.