Last Updated on April 16, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here’s a detailed profile of Lisa Leslie:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Lisa Deshaun Leslie
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born July 7, 1972
  • Hometown: Gardena, California, USA
  • Height: 6’5″ (1.96 m)
  • Weight: 170 lbs (77 kg)
  • Wingspan: Estimated around 7’1″
  • Shoe Size: 12 US (women’s)
  • Jersey Number: #9
  • Position: Center
  • High School: Morningside High School (Inglewood, California)
  • College: University of Southern California (USC) (1990–1994)
  • WNBA Draft: Allocated to the Los Angeles Sparks in the inaugural 1997 WNBA season
  • Teams Played For:
    • Los Angeles Sparks (1997–2009)
  • Championship Rings:
    • 2× WNBA Champion (2001, 2002 with the Los Angeles Sparks)
    • 4× Olympic Gold Medalist (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008)
  • Children:
    • 2 children: Lauren Jolie Lockwood (born 2007) and Michael Joseph Lockwood II (born 2010)
  • Siblings:
    • Lisa has two sisters, Dionne and Tiffany, and a brother, Elgin.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Lisa Leslie’s player archetype was a dominant two-way franchise center, the kind of interior star who could anchor a defense, control the glass, and still serve as a polished focal point on offense. Defensively, she operated as a rim protector and back-line organizer, using her length, timing, and positioning to contest shots, clean up possessions, and impose herself around the paint; offensively, she was a primary scoring big who could finish inside, run the floor, score with touch and power on the block, and punish smaller lineups with her size. At 6-foot-5 and 170 pounds, Leslie paired a strong, athletic frame with mobility that stood out for a center, which helped make her both a paint presence and a transition weapon. The clearest play-style summary is that she combined classic post play, elite rebounding, and defensive authority with enough skill and fluidity to become one of the defining stars of early WNBA basketball. (wnba.com)

Sources:

WNBA — Lisa Leslie Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft …
Basketball Hall of Fame — Lisa Leslie
WNBA — WNBA Announces All-Decade Team