5 Questions About Lisa Leslie and the WNBA

This past Friday was Lisa Leslie's final regular-season home game for the Los Angeles Sparks. Hubby and I caught the game with some sweet seats and truly enjoyed watching this piece of Los Angeles sports history.

Earlier that day, I was walking around in an old Lakers t-shirt because I realized that I didn't own a Sparks shirt. Some fan I am. A colleague asked me why a Lakers shirt when the Dodgers were making a post-season run and the NFL season was upon us. When I replied it was to attend the game that evening since the colors matched he told me, "I would have given you grief if you had a Sparks shirt!"

What? Grief? Why?

Here was a normally "cool" person that was going to razz me for being a fan of the WNBA?

Ugliness aside, as I mentioned, hubby and I had a blast.

We stopped in at ESPN Zone first for dinner (food was so-so but the place was AWESOME). When we headed in to the game my lack of Sparks shirt was cured immediately as they handed out the Lisa Leslie Pass The Ball To The Girl shirts. We also got a bracelet and mini-poster with the same phrase.

The game was sold out and the opening ceremony for Lisa was amazing. Her friends, family, and teammates all presented her with mementos and other gifts. About 75% of the way through the presentation, Lisa asks everyone if they recalled that there was still a game to play.

It was one of those presentations that makes Los Angeles sports fans go nuts. The USC Marching Band was in the stands playing at the right moments and Magic Johnson came out to honor Lisa.

Oh yeah, then there was the game. Oh my - if you have never been to a WNBA game in person then you are really missing out. I realize how lucky I am to have witnessed Candace Parker flip the ball behind her back to Lisa Leslie for a basket.

The Minnesota Lynx could not stop the Sparks on that night (although Candice Wiggins is definitely the real deal). Sparks took the game 90-61. In true Los Angeles sports fashion that Randy Newman tune played afterward as the crowd was showered with streamers.

So here are my five questions for you:

1. Have you ever been to a WNBA game or even watched one on television?

2. Did you know that Lisa Leslie is one of the greatest basketball players of all time?

From her website:

While at Morningside High School in Inglewood, CA, she led the team to two state championships. In college at the University of Southern California, she was the all time Pac-10 leader in points, rebounds, and blocked shots. After college, Leslie launched her modeling career, signing with the prestigious Wilhelmina Agency in 1996.

She was a member of the gold-winning U.S. Olympic teams in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. In 2001, Leslie was the first WNBA player to win the regular season MVP, the All-Star Game MVP and the playoff MVP in the same season. That year, she also led the Los Angeles Sparks to their first WNBA victory. In 2002, she was the WNBA all-time leading scorer and was named MVP of the WNBA Championship and All-Star Game. Leslie is the first woman to slam-dunk in a professional game and the first team sport athlete to win four consecutive Olympic Gold Medals.

In 2002, Lisa Leslie helped the Sparks win their second straight world championship, winning the WNBA MVP Award that year and again in 2006. She became a commentator for ESPN in 2004, covering the NCAA Women’s Tournament.


3. Did you catch that about Magic Johnson? Yeah, he wasn't at the Hall Of Fame festivities for that other basketball legend.

4. Did you realize that WNBA games are a great family activity?

I was amazed at how much more relaxed and happy the crowd was at a Sparks game compared to other sporting events. There were groups of teen boys and girls all there to witness history and hang out with their friends. I could see the looks of inspiration in the young women's faces next to me as Lisa spoke. There were fathers with their daughters, families of four, mothers with their sons, and couples from all walks of life taking in all in. There was a definite, "we are all a big family" vibe.

5. What is stopping you from watching the WNBA? Are you afraid of what people might think?