Former New York Liberty rival supports the current WNBA era
WNBA legend Lisa Leslie tormented the New York Liberty during her playing career and helped revolutionize the game. The Hall of Famer shares her thoughts on today’s players
The New York Liberty dropped to 7-10 on the season after a loss on the road this past Sunday to the Seattle Storm. As the team was on the west coast basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie was coaching her BIG3 team the “Triplets” to another victory remaining undefeated this summer.
Leslie spent twelve seasons in the WNBA beginning with the inaugural year in 1997. She won three MVP awards, multiple All-WNBA honors and two championships with the Los Angeles Sparks. The second title came at the expense of New York in 2002, the same season in which Leslie made history by becoming the first WNBA player to dunk in a game.
The Liberty faced off against Leslie and her Sparks in the first WNBA regular-season game. The game was played in Los Angeles, and New York came out on top 67-57.
After coaching her team to victory, Leslie took some time to speak with Empire Writes Back about today’s WNBA and if the league is in good hands.
What are your thoughts on today’s WNBA?
"“The WNBA is in great hands and has so many talented women. Honestly, as long as Diana Taurasi is out there anything can happen. Candace Parker, the (Los Angeles) Sparks, I would say I’m a biased Sparks fan, but to see A’ja Wilson doing so great in Las Vegas, I’m a WNBA fan and I’m glad the women are doing so great on the court”"
Leslie hasn’t officially put her name in the discussion to become a coach in the WNBA or NBA opting to make a decision when she feels ready. The NBA has taken significant strides in hiring more women as coaches and in the front office, creating opportunities that rarely existed a few years ago. Leslie’s experience and ability to relate to players regardless of gender will make her an enticing candidate in the coaching world if she decides to take that route.
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The Liberty will be returning to Barclays Center next month for a rematch with the defending champion Storm in their lone regular-season game in Brooklyn, New York.