32 Lisa Leslie Quotes On Basketball, WNBA, Success, & Role Models

The best Lisa Leslie quotes:

Lisa Leslie is a retired professional basketball player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest female basketball players of all time.

She is known for her skills, dominance, and contributions to the growth of women's basketball. 

Leslie was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks in the first ever WNBA draft. She played for the Sparks for her entire career and was an eight-time All-Star, two-time WNBA champion, and three-time WNBA MVP.

She won four Olympic gold medals as a member of the United States women's basketball team. She is the first player to dunk during a WNBA game.

Lisa Leslie was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. 

After retiring from basketball, Leslie became a sports commentator and analyst. She has also been an advocate for gender equality in sports.

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Lisa Leslie Basketball Quotes

Leslie averaged 17.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in her 12 year career for the Los Angeles Sparks.

She is an 8x WNBA All-Star and 3x WNBA All-Star MVP.

1. "You just don't want to get pigeon-holed into one position. That's why even though I start out at center, I may play small forward, if I get a rebound and you're not there I can bring the ball up."

2. "I'm a better and more educated person because of basketball."

3. "I have 'the first' attached to my name in a whole lot of different aspects when it comes to the sport of basketball."

4. "When I watch kids play basketball, they don't know how to think the game. They know what it should look like, but they don't know why."

5. "Overall, do we have a good team? Yeah. Are we all on the same page at all times? Absolutely not. It's just a matter of trying to pull it together, trying to get chemistry. That's something that I just really feel that we lack."

6. "I like playing against guys because of their athleticism and understanding of the game."

7. "I played on an all-boy's team in the 8th grade, but they wouldn't throw me the ball even though I was on their team. One day I stole the ball from my own teammate and I made a basket. From that point on, everyone yelled "Give the ball to the girl!" I was the only girl on the whole league!"

8. "I've never proclaimed myself to be a shooter. But I am definitely a scorer."

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Lisa Leslie Quotes About Success And Winning

Leslie won 2 WNBA Championships with the Sparks and she is also won four Olympic Gold Medals with the United States Olympic team.

9. "Everyone talks about age, but it's not about age. It's about work ethic. Winning never gets old."

10. "There's a lot of women in the WNBA. There's a lot of women who could be here. To be voted by the fans says a lot - that people are aware of what's going on. I'm really thankful. I think they just really appreciate my talent so I'm definitely grateful."

11. "Goal-setting and achieving those goals - that's just what I do."

12. "I want to thank God for giving me this opportunity and also my teammates from the West side for giving me the ball."

13. "My success has surpassed my childhood dreams."

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Lisa Leslie On Being A Role Model

Lisa Leslie is seen as a pioneer for women's basketball and as a role model for young girls and women, a role that she embraces and takes pride in.

14. "Well, the first quality of being a good leader is you have to be able to follow. See, a good leader can't just be the leader all the time, I have to be able to follow."

15. "As a role model for young girls and women, I just encourage them to continue their education and set their goals. And for me, mine are just really high and I just happen to be a professional basketball player but I really am a stickler for my goals and I wanted to get my Master's."

16. "If, by the way I play, I can be a role model or encourage someone else, that would be great."

17. "I don't really consider myself a celebrity. I consider myself more of a role model."

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WNBA And Women's Basketball Quotes By Lisa Leslie

18. "Boys have a tendency to jump around a lot more than girls. Boys have that desire to want to dunk way more than girls do. It just never seemed like something we could truly fathom and do."

19. "I encourage girls to play sports and play hard."

20. "Dunking is something guys care more about than girls, There's something about jumping that seems to fascinate guys. Girls are more, like, 'As long as the ball goes in, who cares how you got it there?'"

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Leslie Confidence And Attitude Quotes

21. "I'm strong, I'm tough, I still wear my eyeliner."

22. "I still believe I'm the best player. That's what keeps me going."

23. "I don't think I would have been able to stick with it and been proud of who I am and be feminine out on the court. I think I would have folded to the peer pressure if I didn't have my mom to encourage me to be me and be proud of how tall I am."

24. "For me, being tall was very positive because I thought my mom was the most beautiful person ever."

25. "I think it's great for the women to show that they are women and be feminine. And that's something that I've always promoted."

26. "The one thing I learned about myself going back and watching tapes of all the losses that we've had is that I'm physically capable of doing this and dominating the game, but the mental part was not there. I don't know if it comes with age, but I had to learn to be mentally tough."

27. "When I set a goal, I work hard to achieve it."

28. "I tend not to get too emotional about things."

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Other Lisa Leslie Quotes

29. "Most people compliment me on maintaining my femininity while I'm on the court. People like the fact that I model. My fans or little girls always say they want to play sports, but also want to be a model like me and I think that's great."

30. "I'm probably taller than 90% of the men I meet."

31. "I always knew I wanted to be in television when I was a kid, and I knew I wanted to model."

32. "To feel the presence of the Lord is an amazing thing."

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